Blood Red Roses
by Dream Dragoness
Summary: Part 1 of a duology. One year later after the arrest of the Quarrymen, a mysterious massacre occurs because of one young woman, the Gargoyles find themselves in a battle to protect eight vampires until an ancient prophecy calls to them. This is the story of one particular vampiress, the current Nature Guardian, Rose, and her Guardian of the Night.
1. It Begins with Blood

**Blood Red Roses**

**Chapter 1**

Physically, she was in agony. Emotionally, she was furious and frightened.

_How long must they keep me here?_ She thought angrily.

Her eyes, barely clear, could make out the "scientists" outside her cage, examining the results on a computer.

"How can this be?" said one of the scientists. "We've injected the serum at least six times. How could not one speck of DNA have changed?"

"They _are_ changing." Said another scientist. "Just not in our favor. Something in her DNA is killing off the serum, destroying every ounce of the foreign substance."

As the scientists tried to figure out the cause of this unusual change, she felt her teeth grow; her body was growing unusually stronger, her world becoming black. Once she could see nothing, she then heard screaming. Screams that could give any normal person nightmares.

Only one voice she recognized from her personal life. _You are one of mine now, Nature Guardian._

When her vision was restored, she gave a silent scream at the sight of corpses, drained of any color. Not one with the breath of life still in them. She then looked at her blood-stained hospital gown and then ran to the nearest room. A bathroom. Inside, she saw a mirror, and her horrid-looking face. Her short, wavy black hair was unkept, her golden eyes wide with fear, and her mouth, now bearing fangs, was covered in blood.

She did not know how this happened, but one thing was for sure: she needed to get out. She grabbed a chair from her prison room and threw it at a window, giving her an escape route. She then took the shoes off of one of the bodies and placed them on her feet. She then climbed out of the window and head to one of the places she could hide, unaware that she cut her hand and was leaving a trail of blood behind.

* * *

Elisa Maza made her way down the streets of New York. She received a call from another detective that an unusual massacre took place downtown, so she was on her way to the crime scene. Upon arriving, Elisa saw several ambulances load up a large number of bodies before taking them away to the morgue or hospital. She then saw her partner, Matt Bluestone, wave her down.

As she approached, Matt spoke. "I thought you might want to see the 'massacre' for yourself."

But before Elisa could hit play, Matt handed her a large paper bag. "What's this for?" she asked.

"Trust me when I say 'you'll need it'."

Elisa watched in horror as a young, black-haired woman about nineteen blindly broke out of a cage and began to slaughter the victims, biting their necks and draining their blood in the process.

Needless to say, the paper bag got heavier.

She then watched as the girl realized what she had done and panicked, escaping through the window in the process.

Tossing the paper bag into a nearby garbage dumpster, Elisa looked back at Matt. "Any clues, yet?"

Matt brought her back farther to the broken window, where the blood trail was. "I had to keep the other officers from looking back here until you came. Personally, I think our "friends" might want in this. They might be able to handle a _vampire _more than we can."

"Any I.D's?" Elisa asked.

Matt nodded. "I looked up our vampire shortly before you arrived."

He then handed Elisa a printed out file, with the young woman's information on it.

"I'll contact the others as soon as I read this." Elisa informed her partner. Matt nodded in agreement as he finished up the investigation for the night. Elisa then returned to her car and read the file:

_Rose Lillian Sycamore_

_Age: 19_

_Gender: Female_

_Hair: Black_

_Eyes: Hazel_

_Date of Birth: June 22_

_Known Family: Deceased_

_Address: 7895 Silver Street, New York, NY_

_Disabilities: Mute_

Upon looking at the address, Elisa realized that this "Rose" woman lived in one of the poorest streets in New York. And with her family all gone, it might be possible that she was a victim of a sick, twisted experiment gone horribly wrong.

As soon as she finished reading the rest of the file, Elisa drove away and made her way toward the Erie Building.

An hour later, Elisa met with and gave the investigation information to the gargoyles. For nearly two years now, the clan finally settled in the city. Though the Quarrymen were arrested, a few stragglers escaped, continuing to cause havoc in the city. At least the city had more tolerance for gargoyles now.

Immediately after the information was given, Goliath gathered the clan and began his orders.

"We will have to split up if we are to find the girl."

He gestured to a small gargoyle with a yellowish tint. "Lexington, take Bronx and scour the south."

Then to a large gargoyle and a female one. "Broadway, Angela, take the west side."

Then to an elderly gargoyle. "You will join me in searching in the east, Hudson. I'll have Xanatos search the north."

He then turned to his Second-in-Command. "Brooklyn, since you will be by yourself, search Central Park. If trouble should find you, there will be plenty of places to hide."

Brooklyn nodded, irritated by the fact that he had to go alone and be treated like a hatchling. At Goliath's command, the clan glided off in search of their designated areas.

* * *

As Brooklyn made his way to Central Park, he immediately took notice at a familiar figure gliding down to Belvedere Castle. He growled at the realization of the figure.

"Demona."

He followed suit, keeping himself hidden from the rogue gargoyle. Then a question came into his mind.

Did Demona know about Rose? And if so, why would she want her. Brooklyn's gut feeling told him that it wasn't good.

* * *

Rose was breathing heavily as she sat on one of the vacant chairs in Belvedere Castle. Whenever she came to the park, one of the places she liked to visit was the castle. Somehow, it made her feel more at home. Especially since it was right next to the Shakespeare Gardens.

_Oh, what do I do now?_ She thought,_ Could I be in Nora's range? Please let her hear my thoughts._

After she sent her telepathic message, a foreign sound made Rose jump. Thinking quickly, she hid behind a large curtain. Peeking from behind the curtain, Rose saw the door opening, reveling something she could never expect. Entering the castle was one of those gargoyles she had heard about. But this one she did not see in the news.

The gargoyle was a tall, humanoid female with grey-blue skin and red hair. From the way she was dressed it was not difficult to tell what era she came from. Her fierce eyes scoured the room, looking for something. It was then that the gargoyle spoke.

"I know you're here, Rose. Your blood trail lead me here."

Rose looked at her hand and cursed herself after seeing the cut.

The gargoyle continued , still unable to see Rose. "I saw what had happened, Rose. In honesty, I am quite proud of you. Those _humans_ had no right to treat you in such a way. They deserved to die. And yet, you are being hunted by the very humans who were sworn to protect you."

Her words dripped like venom in Rose's ear. She never wanted this in the first place. She had _no choice._

The gargoyle then spoke again. "You need not to hide from me, Rose. I can help you. You and your clan. You and I are the same: outcasts in the humans' eyes. Come with me and together we can-."

"Don't you _dare_ touch her, Demona!" a new voice bellowed.

Rose quickly peeked again to find the gargoyle "Demona" gone from the entrance. Curious, she quietly hustled her way to the entrance. She looked outside to find Demona fighting another gargoyle in the park. This gargoyle was a reddish color with white hair and a beak. She could clearly see it was a male.

Demona tossed the male back toward the pond. "You shall not interfere this time, Brooklyn."

At that moment, as "Brooklyn" lunged at her, Demona used her tail to send him flying into the pond. As he came to the surface, Demona grabbed his throat and pushed him back under.

It was then Rose realized what she was trying to do.

_She's going to drown him!_ At the sight of Demona taking delight in trying to drown Brooklyn, Rose then knew who her enemy was.

In a burst of unexpected courage, Rose eyed a tree and "commanded" it to lift its roots and slam Demona away. Rose then ran to the pond and helped the second out.

As he was gasping for air, Rose turned toward Demona, who was furious. "You would rather aide one who is on the humans' side than by mine? Very well, prepare to meet your fate." Rose responded with trees and various plants attacking Demona while a wall of thorns defended her and the male.

After coughing up the last of the water, Brooklyn looked up and, to his surprise, saw Rose attacking Demona using the surrounding flora. He didn't know whether to be in shock or to cheer on the girl as she kept the rouge away.

Realizing that the girl was too powerful, Demona made a hasty retreat, giving out her shrilling cry.

As soon as Demona was out of sight, Rose returned the plants to their original states. She then turned around and knelt toward Brooklyn. He immediately recognized her look.

"I'm alright. Thank you." Rose nodded and, to Brooklyn's surprise, picked up his hand and began to trace his hand with her finger. She traced "_Are you certain?" _

Brooklyn, who never learned of her disability, asked "You can't speak?" Rose shook her head.

"_I'm a mute. I never could, nor will speak without a voice." _Rose traced.

She then asked about Demona and what was going on, trying her best to keep herself from fainting from exhaustion. Brooklyn explained to her while she listened attentively. He told her about Demona and the thousand year slumber he and the others were put under all the way to the arrest of John Castaway, leader of the Quarrymen.

"And that's how it happened." He finished.

Rose was fascinated by the tale, but then a new question came to her mind.

_"Where you looking for me?"_

Brooklyn gave his uneasy answer. "In truth, we heard about what happened to those scientists. Elisa figured you might be a victim in experimentation and kidnapping."

He saw that his answer made her tense up, her eyes filled with fear. Holding up his hands, Brooklyn spoke "D-don't worry. We don't wish to harm you. We just want to find you and hide you until everything calms down."

For some odd reason, he made the last part up. Was it because he was concerned for Rose? Could she be like the mutants living in the Labyrinth?

Rose was uneasy at first, but then she saw his eyes held the truth. _Could they protect me? _She thought. _What about the others? _

Rose relayed her fears to Brooklyn. Confused, he asked, "Are they like you?"

Rose nodded. Her friends were, as Demona had put it, her clan. The only family she had left.

Sighing, Brooklyn spoke, "I'll see what I can do."

A smile came on Rose's lips as she traced _"Thank you, Brooklyn. For everything tonight." _before she passed out.

Brooklyn caught the girl, panic filling him. Was she alright? What happened? His answers came into his mind in a female voice.

"_Rose is well; she just used up most of her energy in fighting that gargoyle. I know what you are thinking, Brooklyn. "Who's talking to me in my head? Am I going crazy?" I can assure you, you're not. My name is Nora, Guardian of the Pillar of the Mind. There is too much to explain in such a short time. My friends and I will come to your castle tomorrow and explain everything. In the meantime, please take Rose with you. You have our permission. Please take care of her. She is the most delicate and fragile of us. I thank you."_ It was then the voice vanished.

As Brooklyn brought his thoughts back, he realized dawn will come in a couple of hours. Placing Rose on his shoulder, Brooklyn climbed Belvedere Castle until he sensed a strong wind and glided back to the castle, with Rose in his arms. As he approached the castle, he was greeted by his clan. As soon as they saw Rose in his arms, the clan asked about what had happened. He explained as he allowed (reluctantly) Xanatos and Owen Bennet, Xanatos' right hand man, to take the collapsed girl from his own arms. None of them were thrilled that Demona knew about Rose and her "Clan."

"And according to this "Nora" person, she and the rest of Rose's clan will come here tomorrow and explain everything." Brooklyn finished.

Goliath, though cautious, was equally interested in the answers that the girl's "clan" will provide. "We will discuss this further tonight. For now, let us sleep."

As the clan ready themselves for the sun, Brooklyn looked back at the girl on the stretcher that Xanatos provided.

_See you tonight…Rose._ It was then the sun rose, turning the gargoyles to stone while the unconscious Rose received medical attention from the Xanatos family.

* * *

_No flames please._

_This is a Gargoyles/Legacy of Kain crossover, I do not own either._

_If you're wondering why Rose is not telepathic and is phisically weak, That will be explained in Chapter 2._


	2. New Friends and Enemies

As Rose received medical treatment, Xanatos informed Elisa that the "vampire" was inside the castle, explaining to her on what had happened that night. As Xanatos' finished the call, he noticed that Owen seemed to develop a dislike for the patient.

"Is something the matter, Owen?" Xanatos asked.

Owen looked away from the monitors that read Rose's health, he then explained himself. "My apologies, Mr. Xanatos. But Oberon has deep dislike for Miss Sycamore's breed of vampires. That hatred flows within Oberon's Children as well." T

his intrigued the businessman. "Breed of vampire?"

"Yes, sir. There are two types of vampires that I am familiar with. One I am certain that you familiar with in the movies. Miss Sycamore's breed, however, is a cursed breed from a lost kingdom known as Nosgoth."

But before Xanatos could ask more, Owen replied "Miss Sycamore's clan will explain the rest once they arrive. In the meantime, I best keep my distance."

Xanatos left it at that. It was strange, though. He never knew that there were two types of vampires, or that Owen disliked one of the breeds. But Xanatos knew that he would have to be patient for his answers to come.

Once he had entered his office at midday, a call came in.

"Xanatos." He replied as he answered the phone.

_"Mr. Xanatos, there are a group of children here who wish to discuss something with you. Something about a girl named Rose Sycamore?"_

That was the signal. The girl's clan had arrived. But what did the caller mean by "children."

"Send them up." He told the man before he returned the receiver.

He then waited by the elevator until it came to the castle floor. He was a little stunned to see who his unusual guests were.

In the elevator were seven teenagers, the eldest two seemed to be about in their twenties. All of them holding a potted plant each.

The eldest girl was a brunette dressed in a dark green turtle neck with dark blue jeans.

The man next to her was similar to her that Xanatos figured they could be twins. He had on a dark blue t-shirt with a black jacket and jeans. His face seemed both defensive and fierce at the same time.

The next girl was dressed in an unusual grey hooded robe, hiding dark blond hair.

The next boy had hair of black that covered his eyes, had dark skin, and dressed in a red sweater and jeans.

The girl after him was blind, but it almost as if she could see her surroundings. She was dressed in a violet shirt and a dark ankle-length skirt.

The boy after her had glasses and dark hair and was dressed in a blue sweater. He too was African American.

And the last girl was dressed in nothing but a black dress that covered her feet and a coat, her long, black hair passing her knees.

"Can I help you?" Xanatos asked.

The brunette woman stepped forward, serious and somewhat emotionless.

"I am Nora Quinn. I am the one who told Brooklyn to take Rose to you, Mr. Xanatos."

Xanatos was hardly surprised, especially when he had living gargoyles living in his castle. But there was something about these…children that seemed unnatural.

Gesturing the youths for a seat, Xanatos spoke to them. "So I take it you, Miss Quinn, are the one called the 'Guardian of the Pillar of the Mind'?"

Nora nodded. "Indeed, sir. And we have the answers you wished to seek."

* * *

Meanwhile…

Back at the crime scene, Elisa and Matt were investigating the scene, looking for any sort of clue that could tell them what in the world was going on. As they checked corridor and room, the scene got bloodier with every step.

Wanting to break the silence in this…bloodbath, Matt spoke up. "So, any news about our vampire?"

Elisa nodded, her eyes scouring the scene. "Brooklyn found her in Belvedere Castle last night. And that not all. According to Xanatos, Brooklyn found Demona there, trying to convince Rose and her 'clan' to join her."

"Wait! There are more of them?" Matt asked, surprised with this new information.

"Apparently. Anyway, Brooklyn got into a fight with Demona and she was trying to drown him in the pond when Rose attacked her with the local plant life. From what he said, she was in complete control then. Once Demona left, Brooklyn talked to the vampire and it was as if she never became the monster that caused this."

"What happened after words?"

"She passed out from exhaustion and a member of Rose's clan told him to take her to the castle. He didn't see her, but she spoke telepathically to him, saying that the rest of her 'clan' would come to the castle today and explain all of…"

Elisa's words were cut off when she saw a small banner hanging over the doorway where the massacre began.

"Matt, give me a hand here."

After catching a glimpse of the banner, Matt gave Elisa a boost, allowing her to grab the banner. Once she was on the ground, she and Matt examined the symbol on the small cloth.

The symbol resembled a two-pronged trident resembling wings in light yellow and blue. The scene behind the trident showed what seemed to be a sunrise.

"What do you think it means?" Matt asked.

Elisa's cell rang, holding a message from Owen. Once the conversation was over, she turned to her partner. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out tonight."

* * *

Back at Castle Wyvern

It was nearing sunset when Nora and the others finished their explanation, Xanatos completely intrigued by the tale.

"Fascinating story, Miss Quinn. But is it all true?"

"We have shown you our proof, Mr. Xanatos. Unless you still doubt about what had happened the night before."

"Then I believe you."

Xanatos then noticed the time.

"There's still time for you to visit Miss Sycamore before meeting the gargoyles. I know that you still have to give her the 'medicine.'" He replied, gesturing to the potted plants that the group brought in.

The youths nodded and thanked Xanatos before being led to the room where Rose was. While they were away, Xanatos received another call, telling him that Detective Maza had arrived. Like before, Xanatos allowed her to come up.

Once Elisa was in the castle, she was greeted by Xanatos. "Are they still here?"

"Yes. They are currently giving our young friend some medicine they have brought with them, but I think it would be best if the gargoyles were awake for this."

"And what about the vampire?"

"Still unconscious, but stable. But believe me when I tell you that their story is one of the most unusual I have ever heard."

"We'll see."

As soon as the conversation was over, Owen came out, with the visitors behind him. This included Rose, who had woken up but was still too weak to walk yet. Thankfully, the Xanatos family provided a wheelchair just in case. She was dressed in a dark violet turtleneck and a dark ankle-length skirt, but was covered by a grey blanket. At the sight of Detective Maza, Rose tensed up, grabbing Nora's hand.

"It's alright, Rose. We're here now." Nora whispered.

Owen then spoke to Xanatos. "Miss Sycamore has almost recovered, Mr. Xanatos. She is still too weak to walk, but she wanted to see Brooklyn and thank him properly before they leave."

"Not without answering a few questions first." Elisa replied, still trying to remind herself that this weak girl killed a group of people the night before.

Nora, hearing this, spoke up. "We understand that you are doing your job, Detective Maza. But we agreed that we would repeat our story once more today, and that is why we are still here, waiting."

Elisa looked at the woman. "And you are?"

"All will be explained in due time." Nora answered.

Once sunset was upon them, Xanatos, Owen, and Elisa lead the eight outside to witness the awakening. As the sun set, Rose grabbed the defensive man's hand. He looked at her with a brotherly look and whispered to her.

"We're here now. Don't fret."

But fretting was all Rose could do. She would never commit a crime, she didn't even want to. But now she was in trouble, and there's no telling what would happen.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of cracking stone. Looking up to the tallest tower, she and her clan watched as what was once statues shatter the stone skin, revealing flesh and blood creatures. Their eyes glowed and each gargoyle gave out its own cry, signaling their awakening.

"Fascinating." Rose heard the glasses boy whisper.

Brooklyn, now woken, saw Rose with Elisa and the others. The second-in-command glided off of the tower and landed a few feet away from the group.

"You alright, Rose?"

Rose nodded but remained nervous as the rest of the gargoyles landed by him.

Goliath took notice at the new arrivals before looking at the quivering girl, whom he identified as the vampire from the night before.

"Is this your clan?"

Rose nodded, still shivering. Goliath then returned his attention to the remaining youths as a young woman took a step forward.

"I am Nora Quinn. I was the one who asked your friend to give Rose sanctuary for the day. We are indebted to all of you."

"Then you can repay your debt by explaining what had happened the night before." Goliath reasoned.

Nora nodded. "Agreed. But let us introduce ourselves."

The defensive man spoke up. "I am Lucian Quinn, Nora's twin brother."

The cloaked girl followed. "I'm Desiree Weston."

Followed by the shaggy haired boy. "Anthony Falkner is my name."

Then the blind girl. "I am called Patience Cambridge"

Then the boy with the glasses. "I'm Andrew Croft."

Then the young, dark girl. "Morgan Blackveil." Morgan then gestured to Rose. "And I believe you are familiar with Rose Sycamore, here."

Goliath nodded as he and his clan introduced themselves. "I am Goliath. And I also believe that you are familiar with my second-in-command, Brooklyn."

Brooklyn gave a nervous grin, unsure of what would the clan's leader would say.

Angela then spoke up. "I am Angela. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Broadway."

"My name's Lexington."

"And I be Hudson, young ones."

Brooklyn then gestured to Bronx, who was, surprisingly, allowing himself to be petted by Morgan. "And that's Bronx."

Minutes later, the two clans were inside the castle. The gargoyles on one side, the vampires at the other, and the humans at the center of the outer rim. Nora, who was sitting in a chair next to Rose's wheelchair, began the story.

"Our kind has spent millennia hiding from mankind. Not only for our peace, but for our survival. But it wasn't always like that. Ages ago, we vampires were once mankind's teachers, aiding them in the birth of civilization. But the cradle of civilization was not in the Middle East. No. It was on our homeland: Nosgoth."

Hudson spoke out. "Are you trying to tell us that the Poisoned Land exists, lass?"

"Poisoned Land?" Elisa asked.

Hudson filled everyone in. "Ever since even before our time, Nosgoth was considered a dark place that was once pure. Knowledge of the kingdom was lost, save for her greatest landmark and the legend of her vampires."

"Dark legends woven by the frightened humans who failed to understand what had happened." Patience replied.

"Then what is the true story?" Goliath inquired.

Nora continued.

"Several centuries after the humans started their kingdoms, a small group of vampires attempted to convert our most hated rival race: the Hylden. Warlike, the Hylden did not take their ambitions well, which soon caused the two races to go to war. After years of fighting, a solution came at hand. The vampires planned to seal the Hylden inside another dimension and created a unique lock."

"The Pillars of Nosgoth." Hudson answered in awe at the realization of the truth of the legend.

Nora nodded. "The vampires built on a stone circle nine pillars that reached the heavens. Each pillar represented one of the nine principles of the vampires: The Mind, Conflict, Energy, Nature, Dimension, Time, States, Death, and above all, Balance. With the pillars in place, nine vampires were chosen as Guardians called The Circle of Nine, with the Balance Guardian as the leader.

With the pillars raised and the Guardians chosen, the Hylden were sealed away. But the Hylden Lord gave out one final attack: a curse on our kind. It is the reason why we need to feed on blood. The curse also made the earlier vampires barren and, worse of all, gave them immortality."

"How is that bad?" Angela asked, confused.

Morgan answered. "We believe that all things must end, including lives, one way or another. But we accepted that fact as a part of life, with the additional belief that we would be reborn and begin a new life. That is why Death is considered a vampire principle. But with the ancients' newfound immortality, Death never came. So when a vampire has had enough despair caused by immortality, they committed suicide."

The clan and Elisa were shocked at the information before Nora continued.

"With the vampires cursed, the pillars soon took on taking humans as new Guardians. In order to preserve their heritage, the vampires adopted, and sometimes abducted, the fledgling Guardians, who would learn on how to be proper Guardians and learn the vampires' culture before being turned into one. The process went on for two millennia, until a new generation of Guardians revolted."

Lucian took the floor. "Three Guardians; Malek the Paladin: Guardian of the Pillar of Conflict, Mobius the Time Streamer: Guardian of the Pillar of Time, and Mortanius the Necromancer: Guardian of the Pillar of Death started a brotherhood of vampire hunters and lead a crusade against them. Few were able to escape the wrath of the humans' hatred. A hatred that was caused by one part of the curse: Bloodlust."

Nora continued. "Our kind almost went extinct because of the curse, but thankfully, the Balance Guardian, Kain, was able to save our kind without in turn releasing the Hylden. He merged human and vampire blood in order to create hybrids that can dodge the majority of the curse. But at a price."

Andrew answered them. "When a hybrid turns twenty, they undergo a transformation. The vampire DNA 'activates' and changes their body. They experience a momentary increase of strength, heightened senses, newfound abilities, and loss of control of body and consciousness, mindlessly attacking and killing anything that has blood, since the body is rapidly losing its own in the process."

Lexington then understood. "So whoever kidnapped Rose ended up the victim without her knowledge of what was happening until afterwards."

"Exactly. When we Turn, we go into a frenzy that needs to be dealt with properly. However, with Rose's conditions at the time, the worst could not be prevented." "

So how do you handle it?" Elisa asked Andrew.

"We keep the fledgling restrained and quickly feed them bagged blood until the frenzy ceases. Crude, but effective."

Brooklyn looked at Rose, who was still upset over what had happened. "But why did they kidnap her?"

Elisa then walked up to the vampires. "I think I have a clue for that."

She then showed the nearest vampire, Anthony, the banner she found earlier that day. "Do any of you recognize this symbol?"

Anthony took one look at the banner before he jumped back in shock. "Lucian, you better see this."

Lucian looked at the banner before clenching his fists. "That's the symbol of the Sarafan Brotherhood!"

Any emotions the vampires showed turned into fear.

Seeing this, Goliath spoke up. "You know that symbol?"

Lucian nodded as he looked back to the clan. "The Sarafan Brotherhood was the group that had leaded the crusade against the vampires. They are our enemies. They threaten our existence."

"But why kidnap Rose instead of killing her?" Desiree asked "They usually kill first, ask questions later."

"I think I know why." Patience replied. "It is because they might know that we are not normal vampires."

The vampires looked to Patience.

"You think they wanted her for _that?_" Anthony asked.

"Want her for what, exactly?" Xanatos asked, unsure of what was going on at the moment.

The vampires looked to Nora, but she nodded. She then placed her hands on her head, sliding of what seemed to be her hair. But, instead of a bald head, the back of her head was a light pink orb. Morgan removed her coat to reveal that she was skeletal. Very skeletal. As in "bones showing in the flesh" skeletal. And Anthony moved his hair to reveal a third eye in the middle of his forehead.

This was a complete shock to everyone in the room, save for Owen who remained emotionless.

Nora answered. "Remember when I said the pillars chose their new guardians after the old generation died? This is our proof of what we are."

Lucian spoke up. "Nora is the Guardian of the Pillar of the Mind. I am the Guardian of the Pillar of Conflict."

Desiree then spoke. "I am the Guardian of the Pillar of Energy. And Rose here is the Guardian of the Pillar of Nature."

Rose gave a small nod before Anthony continued.

"I am the Guardian of the Pillar of Dimension and Patience is the Guardian of the Pillar of Time."

Andrew ended them. "I am the Guardian of the Pillar of States. And Morgan is the Guardian of the Pillar of Death."

With learning of the identities of the youths before them, the gargoyles and humans could not believe what was going on in one night.

"We ask that you can keep this a secret to take to your graves." Nora spoke out.

Brooklyn, out of his shock, asked in confusion. "W-why?"

"With the Sarafan here, it is no longer safe for us to live here." Lucian answered. "In order to survive, we have to run. No doubt Rose's capture sent a sort of a beacon to the rest of the brotherhood."

* * *

_Phew! Finaly, after all these months, Chapter 2 is up. Sorry for the wait, but I had demands on two of my best stories. I know I had said in the last chapter that I would explain Rose's condition, but I'm going to have to put it into the next chapter._

_Here are the ages for the new Guardians:_

_Nora Quinn: 22_

_Lucian Qunn: 22_

_Desiree Weston: 21_

_Rose Sycamore: recently turned 20_

_Anthony Falkner: 19_

_Patience Cambridge: 18_

_Andrew Croft: 17_

_Morgan Blackveil: 16_

_The Balance Guardian will be revieled in due time, it is one of the major plots in this fic._

_Please review_


	3. The Fires of Hate

**Chapter 3**

**The Fires of Hate**

"We apologize for what had happened the night before and tonight, but we must leave at once." Nora told the clan as the fear-stricken vampires began to move Rose out.

"But why don't you fight them? If they're humans, I'm sure you can…"

But before Elisa could finish, Desiree interrupted.

"Even if the number is a few, we are still no match for the Sarafan. Besides, an attack on them would surely put the other humans in a panic-filled frenzy. If that happens, no vampire on Earth would be safe anymore."

"I wish to fight them as well. But as Conflict Guardian, I cannot allow the others to come to harm." Lucian replied.

Goliath, now concerned, took a step forward before asking, "But there must be something we can do. We have been in your position before and we understand."

"But it is different for us." Anthony replied. "You have a home that can withstand possible raids. But we have none. So we must move on to quieter, less threatening territory."

As the conversation between the clans continued, Brooklyn found his chance to talk to Rose. As he approached, Rose used sign-language to tell Nora something, making the Mind Guardian look for something in an old satchel.

"Do you have to leave?" The gargoyle asked, disappointed and upset.

Rose sadly looked down to her opened hand as Nora placed something small in it. The Nature Guardian then placed her opposite hand over the cupped hand and moved it a little from left to right to down to up until a small bouquet of flowers appeared.

Brooklyn was fascinated by the girl's talent until Nora spoke to him. "Rose sometimes communicates with the language of flowers."

She then pointed to the purple five-pointed star flowers. "The Purple Hyacinth means 'I'm sorry.'"

Then, she pointed to the lavender bell-shaped flowers. "And the Campanula means "Thank you.' In other words, she is sorry for the trouble that she felt that she had caused you and your clan, but thanks you for helping her the previous night."

As Rose handed the flowers to him, Brooklyn was both fascinated at how the Nature Guardian used flowering plants to communicate, but also saddened at the fact that this meant good-bye.

In a matter of minutes, the Guardians bid thanks and farewell to the gargoyles, Elisa, and the Xanatos family before they left the Erie Building.

* * *

**With the vampires**

As the clan of vampires entered their hovel of a home, Nora spoke to them.

"Let's pack up. Take only the essentials and necessities. Leave no trace of whom or what was here."

"Does this count our tomes?" Morgan asked, thinking of a few necromancer books she had in her possession.

"Of course. Just leave the furniture."

With that, the clan separated into groups, leaving Nora to help Rose to her plant covered room.

"Have Patience help you reverse your projects into seed forms again until we have found a better settlement. I'll be back in an hour."

Rose nodded as the Mind Guardian left. However, before she even began to pack, she heard something propping itself against the door. She turned and tried to open the door only to find that it was barred.

Shortly after, she heard her fellow Guardians cry out.

"What the!"

"Lucian! What's going on?"

"Sarafan! I saw them before they locked me in!"

Panic-filled, Rose tried to free herself, but that soon faded as she passed out from the smoke that was coming from below.

* * *

**With the gargoyles**

As soon as the vampires left, a great discussion swept over the air.

"It's not right for them to have to leave like this." Angela protested.

"Aye! This is worse than what the Quarry rats have done to us." Hudson agreed.

"But what could we do? We don't know how to protect them, even if they are telling the truth or not." Lexington replied.

"Regardless, of how we all feel over what we have learned, I am uncertain on how to help them as well." Goliath admitted.

Brooklyn gave it some thought until he spoke out his idea.

"Why not let them stay here?"

The clan looked at him like he had grown a third head.

"I mean, we can protect them and keep an eye on them at the same time."

The rest of the clan gave it some thought. As they pondered, they each began to like the idea.

Angela was the first to speak. "Personally, I agree. They don't seem to be like bad people and for me, it'll be nice to have a few girls around I can talk to."

"Aye. I agree with the idea as well. It has been a dream of every warrior to challange the Conflict Guardian and see who is the better." Hudson replied.

"They seemed like nice kids. I'd hate to feel guilty if somethig should happen to them." Broadway added.

Lex gave it some more thought before he answered. "I'm still cautious of the idea. But that Andrew kid seemed to be the smartest of the group. He knows what he's doing and it would seem that his clan looks to him for advice. I am interested in what they are really like."

Seeing that his clan had carefully thought through the idea well, Goliath soon came into agreement.

"So it's settled. We will search out the Guardians and offer them sanctuary. At least, until the Sarafan pose little treat to them for a while."

The meeting ended when Elisa, who had left to check her phone, came rushing back in.

"We got a problem, guys."

"What is it Elisa?" Goliath asked.

"I have just been given a report that an apartment on Silver Street is in flames. The very one that those eight are living in." The gargoyles didn't need to know anymore.

The Sarafan had struck again.

As Elisa left to inform Xanatos before she left for the scene, the clan immediately took flight, heading into the direction that the fire was in. As they approached the apartment, fear began to well up in Brooklyn.

"We'll each take a section of the building. Bring out each one of them and take them to the ally across the street. If needed, help anyone that is having a struggle." Goliath ordered.

With that understood, the clan dispersed into the fiery mass.

* * *

Angela tore her way through the first floor with Bronx until they came to what seemed to be a boarded up room. Regardless of the possibilities, Angela broke down the door to find Patience and Desiree struggling to remain conscious.

"Over here!" she called, gaining the Time and Energy Guardians notice.

As Angela escorted them out of the building, Bronx caught a familiar scent and made his way to a basement, propped up by a chair. Recognizing the scent was stronger here; the dog-like gargoyle dug through the blockade and found Morgan trying to find an alternative route. When she saw Bronx, who was happy to see her, she smiled as the gargoyle showed her way out.

"Good boy."

Broadway and Lexington made their way on the second floor. Like with the rooms below, two of the doors have been barricaded. Broadway took one room while Lex took the other. With their strength, they were able to break down the doors and let Anthony and Andrew out.

"You guys alright?" Broadway asked.

Andrew answered him. "Yes, but not for long." He then pointed to his room. "I have some chemicals in there that, in the right heat, would cause the entire building to explode!"

"Then let's get out of here!" Lex told him.

The vampires nodded in agreement as they were escorted outside.

On the third floor, Goliath and Hudson found similar barricades, but these were stronger, made completely of steel. Just as with Broadway and Lex, the two each took a room and tore into it. Hudson found Lucian was trying to hack his way out with a battle ax until he spotted the wall being torn.

"Come, lad! There's not much time!"

"I can't leave without my sister and the rest of the Guardians!"

"The others are taking care of them! Now, let's go lad!"

Lucian, the shepherd of the Circle, knew that he had no choice but to agree, as did Nora, who was told the same thing.

At the fourth and top floor of the burning building, Brooklyn charged down the hall, looking for the Nature Guardian. Thankfully, there was only one door on the floor. When he removed the barricade, he burst through the door to find Rose, unconscious on the floor. Worried, he ran over to her side.

"Rose!"

He checked her vitals and was relieved to find that she was still alive but she was barely breathing. But he had to get her out before the building could collapse. He picked up Rose, bridal style, and made his way to the door, only to find it blocked by a fallen beam.

Cursing himself, he looked for an alternative route. He looked until he noticed that the roof was made entirely of glass. Taking this chance, he climbed to the roof and burst out, with the Nature Guardian still in his arms. Just in time as the building blew up in a inferno.

When the gargoyles noticed Brooklyn coming out with the last Guardian, they handed the eight to Xanatos when he arrived. But before Brooklyn could put Rose in with them, Nora coughed. "Take her to Central Park. *coughcough* She'll heal better there."

Brooklyn was confused, but as he looked at Rose, he looked to Goliath for answers. "Go on, Brooklyn. We will see you and Rose back at the castle when you are ready."

With a nod, Brooklyn took of with Rose in the direction of Central Park.

With the remaining vampires in safe custody, the rest of the clan returned to the castle.

* * *

**With Brooklyn and Rose**

Once at Central Park, Brooklyn looked for a place to land until he spotted the Shakespeare Gardens, in full bloom on this summer night. He found a spot hidden within the foliage to place the Nature Guardian, cloaked with ferns and other shrubbery. As he placed her on the ground, he found himself surprised as the cut Rose had acquired from the grass roof were healing quickly. He watched and waited as the girl healed.

Within a matter of minutes, the Nature Guardian was finally healed.

As she woke up, she noticed that she wasn't in the burning building anymore. Rather instead at one of her favorite spots in the Shakespeare Gardens. Looking at Brooklyn, a thought soon came into her mind.

Brooklyn didn't need to read her mind in order for him to understand this time. "Don't worry. Your clan is safe. They're back at the castle getting treated."

Although relieved, Rose was once again apologetic, blooming another Purple Hyacinth.

"You don't have to apologize." Brooklyn told her. "None of us were expecting the Sarafan to attack you tonight."

But that still didn't make Rose feel any better. Seeing this, the gargoyle decided to change the subject.

"Nora told me to bring you here to heal. I didn't understand it at first, but I brought you here anyway." He then gestured to the healed scratches. "I take it you heal faster among the plant life?"

Taking Brooklyn's hand again, Rose traced her answer.

_"Being a Pillar Guardian often means a price is paid as well. You saw Nora's skull, Anthony's eye, and Morgan's form. But with myself, I can barely remain healthy, let alone survive, without plants. The reason we live here in New York was to hide. I come here at least twice a week if I am away from my room for a while. You've probably saw that it looked like a greenhouse._

_"But I'm not the only one. Desiree cannot control the power that is stored within her. So in order to protect everyone, she wears an insulated cloak to contain it. Patience sees premonitions from time to time, but they give her a migraine._

_"Only Lucian and Andrew are the lucky ones, having only impulses that get them into trouble."_

She then sadly traced, _"I'm so sorry."_

Brooklyn, now "hearing this," felt sorry for the youths. In particular, Rose. Guess it meant that being a Pillar Guardian was not as cool as he thought.

Looking at Rose, he brought out what he wanted to tell her. "Rose. How would you feel if you didn't have to move?"

Rose looked up at him, thinking "Is that possible?" The gargoyle then explained the proposition of having her clan stay with his at the castle.

"So? What do you think?"

Rose didn't know what to say. Other than that she would have to speak with her clan and asked if was truly aright with his clan. Brooklyn answered that they all agreed that they should stay and that as soon as the Nature Guardian was ready, he would take her to the castle.

Without a moment to lose, the two, once Rose was a bit more stable, made their way back to the Erie.

* * *

An hour later, the vampires were slowly waking up in the castles homemade recovery room. As they struggled to sit up, the doors were soon opened by a woman with red hair, holding an infant in her arms.

"I see you eight are awake." She remarked.

After drinking a glass of water that was on a nearby end table, Lucian, who was the first to truly wake up, asked, "What happened?"

"Your building was on fire and, according to the gargoyles; you were sealed inside a room each. Thankfully, they caught wind of the fire in time to save you."

It was then Lucian remembered with an angered look. "The Sarafan."

The woman nodded. "It would seem so. Detective Maza found a witness who stated that he saw a van with the same insignia as the banner she found at the lab."

She then held out her hand, trying to calm the Conflict Guardian down. "By the way, I'm Fox. David's wife."

She then gestured to the baby in her arms. "And this is our son, Alex."

Lucian looked at the pair before calmly shaking the baby's outstretched hand with a smile on his face. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Lucian."

* * *

Once the gargoyles heard that the vampires were awake, the came to the recovery room to greet and check on them. Brooklyn was the first to arrive, heading straight to Rose's bed as he greeted the others. Once the clans reacquainted themselves, Goliath asked the matriarch of the vampires a question.

"What will you do now?"

"I suppose we could still run, but we would still have a debt to pay."

"What is it with you guys and debt?" Broadway asked.

"Balance. The principle that is valued most of all. Nothing can be gained without giving something in return. It is that and personal gratitude."

Then, Angela then asked a question. "If you leave, won't the Sarafan follow you?"

"Perhaps. But if it means keeping other safe, we would gladly allow them to follow us."

Nora then looked at the clan in an analytical look.

"You don't want us to leave, do you?"

Lexington spoke up. "It's not right that you would be treated like this ever since you were born."

"And running doesn't solve everything." Broadway added in.

Goliath then told the young Guardians. "We have been discussing the situation since our return. We have come to an agreement that the eight of you should stay here in the castle until things calm down."

The vampires were taken into shock until Xanatos came in. "And if you are wondering about your conditional needs and your debt, we have the solution for that. There are several empty rooms in the castle that I have yet to put into use, so you can stay in those rooms and I will take care of the 'interior decorating.' And for the payment, if you insist, you can service the castle in any way necessary."

He then gestured to Rose and Andrew. "For example, I have heard from a friend of yours who called me a bit ago that you two practice medicine using healing plants. If need to, I can have you two as my scientist, my florist, and my physicians."

The Nature and States Guardians were astounded that their talents could help repay the debt. Or that the friend, who was a local vampire, managed to find out where they were and inform Xanatos of their project.

As the Guardians looked to each other, Goliath informed them. "We will not force you to stay here, but as one who has been hunted by frightened humans, I recommend that you stay."

The Guardians whispered to one another for several minutes before Nora announced their decision. "If you are willing to put up with eight troublemaking vampires, then we will agree to stay."

The clan rejoiced as the sun rose, turning them to stone with smiles on their faces.

* * *

_Alright guys, chapter 3 is up._

_I would have made this chapter a bit longer, but I have been working on this since last night and I am still in demand of my other fics. So I wil stop for a little while, but I will never put this on haiatus until it is done. And for those lok fans out there, Raziel WILL be mentioned in the fic, just not now._

_Anyway, summer started for me and I will continue writing diligently over the summer._

_THanks_

_Please review too. :)_


	4. Gardens of Faith

**Chapter 4**

**Gardens of Faith**

* * *

The vampires rested for a couple more hours before assisting Xanatos in the interior decorating. Nora, who had explained to Xanatos about their conditions, overlooked the construction. By the end of the day, each vampire had a room or two of their own. Each one fitted to each of the Guardians' abilities. They've also recovered some items from the ashes from their apartment. Among them were

Nora had a sound-proof room in a semi-dark violet color with black carpeting and was dimmed in lighting. She had a four poster bed with sheets of lavender, a mauve comforter and head panel. There were medium green ribbons wrapped around the poles at the foot of the bed as well. There was a desk at one side of the room with bottle-shaped incense burner with Chinese dragons sculpted on it, a modern-style writing utensil holder, a large desk calendar, and a stain-glass desk lamp. Paintings were hung around the room in a Feng Shui pattern. Each painting was either a landscape or an oriental design. Nora had protested to the elegance of the room, saying that all she needed was the sound-proof walls and some space for her to meditate. But Xanatos and Fox insisted, leaving Nora and the rest of her clan to accept the man's generosity.

Lucian's room as extremely spacious, giving him room not only his collection of weapons that have survived the fire, but space for him to train as well. He had an adjustable bed that folded up into an elegant sofa, giving him more room for his combat training. His room was a blood-red color with wooden floors and black rugs for his bed/sofa and weapon stands. On an end table next to his sofa-bed was an iron helmet with a plume of human hair. A gift from his pillar and a reminder of his predecessor, Malek.

Desiree's room was carefully built so as to contain the energy that radiated from her body. She, Nora, and the Xanatos' had planned on using Desiree's uncontrollable energy to power the entire Eire Building buy installing energy-gathering sensors within the dark violet walls and the stone floor. The Energy Guardian would still have to wear her insulated cloak when she sleeps on her heavily protected box-bed. According to Desiree, she was used to sleeping in such a bed with the cloak that once belonged to DeJoule, the former Energy Guardian.

Anthony had no physical requirements for his room. So, all he needed to do was paint his room a tan color and install white carpeting before he added his furniture choices placed into his room. His bed was a simple brass bed with several bookshelves on two sides of the room. There was also a pine desk with a pine chair.

There was debate on what Patience's room was going to be, but the Time Guardian knew what she wanted. She left the walls their stony look but with some tapestries she obtained and restored hanging here and there. There were some dark rugs that were placed under the furniture and at the door. Patience's bed was a daybed with cream sheets and a golden comforter. There were some throw pillows on the bed and a chest at what seemed to be at the foot of the bed so that she could store the pillows when she was not using it. There was a basin in the room that, according to Nora, helped Patience to scry different eras. She could tell the past, but she made it a rule not to tell the future. Also, on a small table was a large hourglass with red sand. Her inheritance from Mobius the Time Streamer.

Andrew had two adjoining rooms for his accommodations. They were painted a smokey grey color with a desk and chair underneath a loft bed and several bookshelves all around the room. The second room that was attached to his bedroom was his laboratory. Several large tables held various lab equipment and chemicals. Also on one of the tables were the Alchemic scales that belonged to Anarcrothe, the States Guardian before him

Morgan's room was fitting for the Death Guardian. She had a coffin-style bed with red sheets and a black comforter. Her room was painted black with dark flooring. She had a couple of shelves filled with her necromancer tomes. On a mahogany desk was an orb that was a gift she inherited from her pillar. The orb was blood-red with a skull-shaped mount. It was the Death Orb that belonged to her predecessor: Mortanius the Necromancer.

Rose's rooms were the last to be done, since it was more complicated. The Nature Guardian received some seeds where she began to re-create her plant-covered room. Grass took the place of carpeting and vines coiled along the emerald wall, leaving the doors to the hallway and the second room bare. Here and there, there were flowering plants that bloomed in diversities of colors. Her bed was a simple Captain's bed with vines and ivy acting like curtains at both ends of the bed. The sheets were a forest green with a dark violet comforter. The drawers beneath the bed were filled with various seeds and bulbs, though there were different drawers that had different kinds of mushrooms.

The room adjoining her bedchamber was the size of a small ranch-style house, with one half covered from ceiling to floor with glass for the plants that needed sun and a windowless half for the plants that required shade. Rose organized the plants by size, name, sun requirement, and what they did. That way, anyone who was visiting her greenhouse can tell aside from the small name cards what were herbs, regular plants, and especially poisonous ones. There was an open area that gave Rose her own private garden for her to look out at.

As Rose was finishing up her rooms, she looked at her water clock that she recovered from the fire and looked at the time. It was noon. With the events of the day, she needed something to eat. Thankfully, Xanatos managed to obtain a few truckloads of bagged blood of different types without arousing suspicion. Not only was it ready for the four Turned vampires: Nora, Lucian, Desiree, and Rose; but it was also enough in case the remaining unturned youths reached their Turns.

The Nature Guardian slipped into the castle's kitchen and retrieved one of the bags from the cooler. She then obtained a large, clean wine glass and poured the blood into it. She hoped that the Xanatos' wouldn't mind if she drank it that way. She had watched the first three try to drink straight from the bag, only to end up having a big mess on them.

After pouring the blood, Rose picked up the glass and began to sip. Since she was a newborn, it was proving difficult for her to not go into frenzy at the scent of the red liquid. Thankfully, she had been practicing with other fluids before the Turn. As she sipped the blood, Rose walked out of the kitchen and headed to one of the rooms that had the large windows. An advantage of being a newborn was that she was still invulnerable to the sun and it would take some time before her skin would become intensely sensitive to the golden rays.

As she looked out of the large windows, Rose gazed at the magnificent view of New York City in front of her. She had never been this high before, nor got the chance to see something like it. Rose sipped her blood quietly as she went over what had happened to her. Could the Sarafan really know that the pillar guardians were alive and were in vampire form? What would happen to them if they were found? What would happen to the family and the clan that lived here? As she was thinking those things, it made her feel worse than the night before.

These things wouldn't have happened if she had been more careful.

"In deep thought?" A voice spoke, startling Rose.

The Nature Guardian turned around, nearly spilling her blood, and saw that it was Fox, with her son in her arms. With a motherly smile, the former TV star approached the shy vampire.

"I know that look. You feel guilty over what has been happening the past few days, thinking that it was your fault."

Rose was stunned at the accuracy of Fox's answer, just being able to understand what she was feeling. But her guilt resumed as she swirled the blood in the glass.

Fox could tell that this vampire had a sweet nature and wouldn't hurt a fly. And after what had happened, she felt that she needed to smile.

Looking at her son, Fox got an idea.

Looking at Rose, she asked, "Would mind helping me with something when you are finished with you 'drink'?"

Rose raised her eyebrows in confusion but obeyed.

Once the blood was finished, she set the glass on a nearby table and approached Fox. But before she could react, Fox handed Alexander to her, surprising the vampire.

"Here. Why don't you play with Alex for a while?"

If she could, Rose would have stuttered at the unusual request. She didn't even trust herself with her newly 'enhanced' body. So why would Fox trust her only child to her? Fox, seeing the confusion, answered her.

"You may be a vampire, but you are still yourself. And from what your fellow vamps had said about you, wither you are a vampire or a werewolf, human or gargoyle, you have a good heart. Think of this as a 'training session' for your inner strengths. And besides, I think that Alex likes the lot of you."

Rose looked at the infant in her arms, who was trying to reach for her hair to play with. He did seem to have taken to her. Could Fox be right and that she can control herself?

"Well, I have to go. I have a few appointments I have to keep. Can I trust you to take care of my son while I'm gone?" Fox asked.

Giving it some thought first, Rose nodded in agreement. After Fox left, Rose began to figure out how to take care of Alex. She couldn't go to her friends, which would be humiliating and would doubt herself even more. After some thought, Rose decided to take Alex to her rooms and entered her garden.

* * *

The gardens fascinated Alex with the various plants and flowers that covered the place. Rose made sure that the poisonous plants were blocked off so that there would be no accidents as Alex explored the gardens.

Hours passed and Rose was having a blast taking care of the infant. She would show him the plants she was growing and even demonstrated what they did. Alex had the time of his life when he discovered the Sensitive Ferns when he touched one of them and saw the leafs closing upon being touched. Later on, Rose managed to whistle in some birds that were nearby and showed them to Alex. She even showed him some birds that weren't native to New York, such as Cardinals and Blue Jays.

Eventually, the year-old boy yawned as it was close to his naptime. Seeing this, Rose picked the infant up and was about to leave the room when Alex began to fuss. Looking around, Rose decided to try a nest of plants for him to sleep on, since at the moment his bed was covered in seeds. Once the nest was finished, she placed him in it and in a snap, Alex was asleep.

As he slept, Rose couldn't help but smile. She was proud of herself for being able to control her nature by taking care of the boy. And she wasn't the only one. Each of the guardians went to check up on the pair after Nora had learned that Rose was babysitting. Needless to say, they were quite proud of the newborn.

Once Fox returned, she was amazed at how well that Rose took care of her son despite her unpredictability as a newly born vampire. She was so impressed that she asked Rose to be her son's nanny for a while. Though modest, Rose accepted, having liked spending time with Alex. Looking at her clock again, Rose saw that it was 3 0'clock.

She had an appointment with Nora and Lucian.

* * *

When the sun set, the gargoyle woke from their stone slumber and began their new routine. Two clan members, including Bronx, would remain to tend to the vampires, while the rest went on patrol. This time, the ones who stayed behind were Brooklyn and Angela. Once the rest of the clan was gone, they headed into the castle to see the guardians' new rooms.

They were impressed with most of the rooms, although they felt a little weirded out when they saw Morgan's and Lucian's room. When they came to Rose's room, they were fascinated by the plant-life that she had grown.

"These are beautiful. These rooms remind me of the Amazon Rain Forest where we met that clan of South American gargoyles." Angela replied in fascination.

Even though he had never met that clan nor been to South America, Brooklyn still agreed that the plants were beautiful. A tender hand had touched this place.

But there was someone missing. Someone he wanted to see.

"Are you looking for Rose?" A faint voice spoke.

Turning around, the two gargoyles came across Patience, who had been walking nearby.

"Yes. Do you know where she is, Patience?" Angela asked.

Patience answered.

"She is training with Nora and Lucian."

"Training? For what?" Brooklyn asked.

"Upon Turning, the abilities that are unique to vampires surface, and need to be in control. Also, we have plenty of enemies, so it is a good idea to train for combat as well. But there are two types of training for us."

"Two? What are they?" Angela inquired.

"The training of the mind and the training of the body. Since it is in his field, Lucian is training Rose to harness and control her physical abilities, while Nora aids in the development of the psychic abilities that is natural for vampires. If Rose goes untrained, not only there would be a likelihood of her being captured again, but her body could destroy itself thanks to her untapped power."

"So, where are they?" Brooklyn asked.

"In the training hall. Mr. Xanatos is there as well."

The two gargoyles thanked the Time Guardian and left to find their friends.

* * *

_PLEASE read and review. Don't flame me, please._


	5. Blood Contract

**Chapter 5**

**Blood Contract**

_Sorry for the long wait. I had three fics that are in a contest since May and they needed to update every month. Now that the contest is over, I can resume my other fics._

* * *

As Angela and Brooklyn reached the entrance to the training room, they were alerted by the sounds of combat. Apprehensive, they entered the room to find Lucian and Rose in battle stances with Nora and Desiree sitting on a bench on the other side. Their presence alerted the four vampires, sending the benched pair into their fighting stances as well. Brooklyn and Angela held up their hands in defense.

"Wait a minute! It's us!" Brooklyn shouted.

At the sight of the two gargoyles, the four relaxed.

"Sorry about that. We've been used to preparing for any Sarafan attacks that we have failed to distinguish friend or foe before we can identify them." Lucian apologized.

Nora hailed the two gargoyles as her brother and Rose prepared to fight again. Brooklyn sat next to Nora while Angela sat with Desiree as the elder and fledgling vampires began to fight.

Brooklyn watched as the Conflict and Nature Guardians charged at each other with great speed. They became so fast that their appearance was a blur to the naked eye. Even with this speed, the spectators could see Rose and Lucian attempting to land blows on each other and dodging the other's strikes. Rose managed to land a couple of blows, but experience and the advantages of being the Conflict Guardian gave Lucian the upper hand, hardly going easy on the fledgling.

"Isn't this a little…rough on her?" Angela asked, concerned for the Nature Guardian.

The Energy Guardian answered the two gargoyles.

"Don't worry. Even before they Turn, vampires needed to learn how to combat under various conditions. After all, you yourselves have witnessed one of our enemies twice catching us off-guard in the last week alone."

This alerted the gargoyles, particularly Brooklyn.

"Twice in a week? You mean this happened before?"

Nora shook her head.

"The circumstances regarding Rose's kidnapping, no. The fire, yes. A couple of times."

"Why don't you defend yourselves? I'm sure you're capable of beating the Sarafan…."

"And risk all vampirekind to be annihilated by frightened humans because we only took out a small gang? I think not. We vampires are still outnumbered by the billions of humans on this planet. I believe that there are around a million of our kind out there."

Angela flinched.

"That is a disadvantage. Are the Sarafan the reason why you migrate? I could tell from last night that you all traveled more than normally."

Desiree nodded as Lucian drop-kicked Rose.

"Yeah. But this time, we _have _to stay in New York."

This caught interest of the pair.

"You _have_ to? Why?"

Desiree was about to answer Brooklyn, but Nora stopped her.

"It is best to wait a while before we tell them about that. We still have to inform them about the…other thing."

But as Brooklyn was about to ask, Lucian called out.

"Ok, Rose. Time to call it a night."

Rose was battered a bit but managed to hold her ground. The four spectators approached them as Nora spoke to the fledgling.

"You still need a lot of practice with Lucian, Rose. But let's see how well we can help you harness your mental abilities."

Lucian spoke to Brooklyn and Angela.

"Come on. We'll be brain fodder if we stay here."

Nora narrowed her eyes at Lucian as he chuckled.

"Mental abilities are as painstaking as Physical ones."

Lucian waved his sister off as he led the small group away from the two women.

Once they were out, Angela spoke.

"What was Nora talking about when she said 'to inform them'?"

Upon hearing this, Desiree and Lucian looked at each other with hesitant looks. It didn't take a scientist to know that they were uncertain. But Lucian, who was in a way Nora's second-in-command, looked to the two gargoyles as they walked on.

"We received a call from the…community. They want to know if they can trust you with us. Mr. Xanatos is already meeting with them."

"Who?" Brooklyn asked only to be answered by the opening doors that lead to Xanatos' conference room.

Inside were not just Xanatos, but seven cloaked figures sitting in the chairs that went down the long table. Both Brooklyn and Angela felt a chill as the cloaked figures looked toward them.

Xanatos ushered them in as he introduced them to the mysterious group.

"Everyone. These are two of the gargoyles you have expressed your concern about. This is Brooklyn, second-in-command, and Angela, Goliath's daughter."

Understanding, the cloaked figures gave a light bow while one, who was nearest to where Xanatos was, stood up as they spoke.

"Mr. Xanatos has kindly been informing us about your origins and whether or not we should trust you with what may be the most important individuals in the world."

The figure then acknowledged Lucian and Desiree.

"Greetings, Conflict Guardian Lucian. Energy Guardian Desiree."

The two Guardians gave a light bow as Lucian identified the cloaked one.

"High Elder Anita. We of the Circle of Nine, greet you as well."

The figure, whom Lucian had identified as Anita, removed her hood to show her face. To the gargoyle's surprise, instead of an old woman, a woman in her forties was revealed. The cloak covered the rest of her, but it was still noticeable that she was thin. And, like the Guardians, she had fangs.

Anita nodded to the remaining figures to remove their hoods and had continued to surprise the gargoyles that none of them, four men and two women, were nowhere near their fifties. The youngest appearing to be in his late twenties. Anita then spoke.

"I introduce to you, the representatives of your clan, the United States Council of Elders. We govern the vampire colonies in North America. I am Anita Bauer, the eldest and the head of the council."

She then looked on to the youths.

"We are here concerning the Guardians and the offer of sanctuary your clan has offered."

She then looked to the two gargoyles.

"Since you are the child of your clan's leader and you are the Second-in-Command, we ask that you two would be the representatives of your clan as Lord Lucian and Lady Desiree are the delegates of their clan."

"Tread carefully when speaking. Especially since the Council is the most respective group among all the vampire clans. One wrong move and there will be trouble." Desiree whispered to the two gargoyles as she took a seat.

Xanatos, Lucian, Angela, and Brooklyn each took a seat as Anita sat amongst the rest of the elders.

"Normally, such a procedure would require ALL of the Pillar Guardians. But since Lady Nora is currently training young Lady Rose, and the rest of the young lords and ladies are still in their human state, the two of you will represent the entire Circle, Lord Lucian and Lady Desiree."

Lucian and Desiree nodded, not minding the slight stares from Xanatos and the gargoyles at the sound of their titles.

Lucian was the first to assess the situation.

"Lords and ladies of the American High Council of Elders. You have informed us that you have heard of the offer of sanctuary from Mr. David Xanatos and the Manhattan gargoyle clan. No doubt you have heard of Nature Guardian Rose's kidnapping and Turn on the news and your scouts. But what we have learned the night before, thanks to the evidence acquired from the scene by NYPD Detective Elisa Maza, we have learned that the kidnapping was the work of our oldest enemy: the Sarafan Brotherhood."

The elders raised eyebrows and muttered to each other before Lucian continued.

"We have failed to find Lady Rose before her Turn, but thanks to Second-in-Command Brooklyn, she was able to get to safety before any human could come across her. Then, shortly after retrieving Lady Rose, our apartment on Silver Street was caught on fire through arson, with each of us locked in a room we were in. Again, our lives were saved by the gargoyle clan and we were treated for our injuries both internal and external. That was when the offer of sanctuary came up."

One of the elders, a forty-looking man with bushy red hair and beard, then spoke as he looked at Brooklyn.

"Brooklyn, is it? I am Elder Octavio and I, along with the rest of the Council, wish to know why you offered sanctuary to vampires. Their lordships can't have impressed you that much."

Brooklyn, though he had little experience with such meetings, answered Octavio by telling him his clan's story, much to the interest of all of the vampires, including Lucian and Desiree.

By the time he was finished, Brooklyn's throat was dry and his nervousness was as unstable as ever. He then concluded his statement.

"We understand the Guardians' plight as is it similar to what we've been through. Even though you may find what Rose did to those people at the scene unacceptable, surly it must be understandable given the circumstances. A gargoyle's purpose is to protect: human, gargoyle, or vampire. Every night, we go on patrol to protect this city and its citizens. That also counts the vampires living here. We've also offered sanctuary as a hand of friendship. A peace pipe, in a way. And if it's alright, we wish for you to accept this. For the Guardians' sakes."

The elders remained silent, as Lucian passed a note to Angela, who handed it to Brooklyn and Xanatos.

_"They are using telepathy to reach a verdict. If they are against it, we must leave and your memories of us will be wiped out."_

Just as Brooklyn's nervousness came back, Anita opened a briefcase she had on the floor next to her legs and pulled out a piece of paper written in red ink. But another look and the scent of iron came from the paper and assaulted the senses.

The ink was blood.

"We agree to support their lordships' decision of accepting your offer of sanctuary, providing that you agree to a couple of conditions."

Relief began to wash away the anxiety when Xanatos asked, "What kind of conditions?"

Anita then explained the conditions.

"First, keep the facts that you have vampires living under your roof an absolute secret. Should you need blood without drawing unwanted attention we will provide a list of contacts that are consisted with vampire and human staff. Ones that know of our existence and have sworn to secrecy unless they have our consent. Next, you may assist with the adjustment of fledgling vampires provided that Lord Lucian or Ladies Nora and Desiree supervise. One wrong move could prove disastrous."

Anita then placed the parchment forward onto the table.

"And last, we need you to sign a Blood Contract."

"Blood Contract?" Angela asked.

Another male elder named Ivan answered her.

"A Blood Contract, my dear, is a mystical agreement written in blood. Upon signing, the contract is binding unless something forces the contract to become void. And that has dire consequences."

"Such as?" Xanatos asked suspiciously.

Anita answered in the most serious of tones.

"In the event you should betray us, for example, the Blood Contract gives us the signal to send an executioner. The penalty for betrayal and breach of contract is Death."

Even Lucian cringed at the sound of the punishment for treachery of a Blood Contract.

"But there are some advantages for such a sinister-sounding contract." Anita spoke.

"Upon signing this contract, certain privileges will activate the moment you sign. Such as visiting our underground city, New Vasserbünde, where all of New York's vampires live. You are also free to learn more of our culture and history, even learn a spell or two should you have an interest in charms. But above all, this will guarantee your oath and recognized among the rest of the High Councils of the world."

At first, all three mortals were uneasy. But if it was to keep the Guardians safe along with their memoires, they knew they had little choice. But just as Xanatos was about to reach into his coat pocket for a pen, Elder Ivan stopped him as he pulled out a red plumed quill.

"No need for an ink pen, Mr. Xanatos. For a Blood Contract to be legitimate, the signature must be made with your own blood."

The trio watched as Anita cut her left palm and dabbed the pen-like part of the quill into the small pool of blood and wrote her signature with the 'ink'. Once her signature was complete, she changed the pen to a clean one and handed it to Brooklyn. He carefully looked at the enchanted parchment before he went and cut his own palm with a knife that the elders provided. Carefully, he wrote his name in blood. His signature was shortly followed by Angela and Xanatos, all three of them wrapping their palms with bandages provided by Desiree.

Once the contract was signed, Anita took the contract, allowing the rest of the elders to sign.

"We will need the rest of the gargoyle clan's signatures to complete this. But otherwise, meeting adjourned. We will look forward to the brighter part of the future and we also pray that we do not have to send an executioner."

With that said, the participants of the meeting dispersed until the rest of the clan came back. Angela decided to learn more about the vampire's culture with Desiree as Brooklyn headed off to the training room to see Rose. When he arrived there, only Nora remained as she picked up a couple of blankets.

"Where's Rose?" He asked, gaining Nora's attention.

"She's in her new room, sleeping. I'm afraid Lucian and I have exhausted her with her training. She's not used to such strenuous activity."

Brooklyn thanked Nora and left for Rose's room. Quietly, he crept into the room and gazed at the sleeping form of Rose. She looked lovely while asleep, almost hiding the fact that she was a blood-sucking creature of the night. Looking at his hand and at the young vampiress, he smiled.

The meeting was worth it.


	6. Midnight Flight

**Chapter 6**

**Midnight Flight**

_Sorry for the wait. I had a chapter ready to post, but due to some technical difficulties, I was unable to save properly and I had to redo the entire fic._

* * *

It had been a week since Rose Turned from human to vampire and the training was beginning to do its part. Rose had more control over her bloodlust but was still weak in the combat department. She spent the first week with Nora and Lucian, training in both mental and physical combat. Now this week, the Nature Guardian was going to train with the third of the vampires: Desiree the Energy Guardian. Even though she still needed training in combat, it was time for Rose to learn the art of transformation.

But that wasn't the only thing Rose was beginning to learn.

It was mid-afternoon of the second Sunday after her Turn and Rose had woken up. Among the things she had to get used to, it was the change in her sleep pattern. It was a common occurrence for fledglings to be awake when the sun was still out, having been used to waking up early in the morning for school and other activities. And Rose was no exception. As she rose from her bed, she obtained the cloths she wanted to wear and headed into the bathroom the she and the other Guardians shared in their wing of the castle. After a shower, she stepped out of the bathroom in an olive green sundress and black Mary Jane's, knowing that there was a possibility that she would have to take her shoes off for training.

After obtaining a large fishbowl-sized wing glass and filling it with blood, Rose returned to her room and pulled some items from one of her end table drawers: a pair of books, a notepad, and a pen. With the blood and the books in hand, Rose headed to the castle gardens and took a seat on a lounge chair that had a parasol overlooking the chair, giving some shade to the Nature Guardian.

As Rose drank, she took a look at the books she had taken from her chambers. These weren't ordinary books. They were journals. Records of her lord, Kain, and his first lieutenant-turned-wraith, Raziel. The journals were given to Nora and Lucian upon the Council of Elder's learning that two of the pillar guardians have been born. While in real life, neither lord nor lieutenant kept a journal, centuries before their time, a prophetic Ancient Vampire foresaw the significance of their stories and had the journals written by magic, a spell that only ended when both Kain and Raziel had perished. Each of the journals were written in their 'writer's' point of view as to explain their actions to the readers.

Now, it was the inheritance of the new Pillar Guardians, in preparation of their destinies. But what those destinies were, my dear readers, I cannot say now. Rose had read the journals again and again. Not once did she tire of the stories. It was odd at first that that a gentle soul like Rose would ever find interest in these dark stories, but somehow they captured her interest and because of this, Lucian and Nora deemed fit for Rose to be the keeper of the journals.

Now, Rose had begun to re-read the red journal, Kain's Journal. There was a particular order to reading the journals and anyone who was reading them the first time would tend to be confused. But after the first two times, one can find the right trail in the map of the stories. And Rose had memorized the majority of the stories like a guide who knows the nooks and crannies of a museum.

The Nature Guardian began at the point where Kain was slain as a human, then resurrected as a vampire.

"_**Vae Victus**_. _Suffering to the conquered. Ironic now I was the one suffering. Not anything as pedestrian as physical pain, rather the cruel jab of impotent anger. The hunger…for revenge. I didn't care if I was in Heaven or Hell, all I wanted…was to kill my assassins. Sometimes…you get what you wish for. The necromancer, Mortanius, offered me a chance for vengeance and like a fool, I jumped at his offer without considering the cost. Nothing is free. Not even…revenge." _

As Rose read on, she swore she could see the event in her head. A recently slain Kain, bound in the Underworld that he would've called his new home, had not Mortanius freed him. She could see the two make the deal that would forever seal Kain's fate as a being, both as a man and a vampire. And as she saw Kain walk out of the Underworld, she could've sworn that she heard Mortanius' voice speak to the future father of the hybrids.

_"You will have the blood you hunger for_."

Rose shook her head as she continued to read, not noticing that her blood supply was diminishing, nor that dusk was upon the city.

"_I awoke to the pain of a new existence, in a dank womb of darkness and decay. _

_"Upon my rebirth I discover that I had been gifted with abilities that I could never perform as a man. Once such spell enables me to travel back to my crypt where the soil of my grave provides me respite. I will use this when I am weak and in need of sustenance. And as I looked to where my enemies' blade impaled me, I found that my heart was replaced by one of a darker coloring. Reputed to have been ripped from the chest of the greatest vampire to have ever existed, Janos Audron, the Heart of Darkness restores vampiric unlife. Life is precious, Janos discovered, as it was torn, throbbing and bleeding, from his own body."_

Rose placed a hand on her own heart, faintly beating despite her newly acquired unlife. With or without a heart, a vampire could live on. But the young woman desired to keep her heart, whether it was beating or not. But as Rose was about to continue onward with Kain's beginning, the sound of cracking stone filled the vampiress' ears. Looking upward, she saw the stone shells of her hosts begin to crack and rift until the stone skin shattered, revealing the flesh and blood beings that the Pillar Guardians come to associate with.

After their awakening, the gargoyles began their new rounds, two left behind while the remainder headed to the city's skies. This time, Angela and Brooklyn stayed behind. This a day Brooklyn had been waiting for. As of late, he found himself wanting to spend more time with the vampires, Rose in particular. He found the vampires interesting, but none were more interesting to him than the silent and weak Guardian of Nature. Something about Rose charmed him and every night after the meeting with the Council of Elders, Brooklyn would hurry and check on Rose first before taking off, then again upon his return. This didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the clan, though they kept their silence until they felt that the time was right.

Upon seeing Rose outside on the lounge chair, Brooklyn immediately glided down to her, greeting her as he approached her.

"Evening, Rose. How are you feeling tonight?"

Quickly, Rose wrote on the notepad she brought with her and showed what she wrote to Brooklyn.

"_**I am doing well. I am certain the others are waking as well. I was just reading while enjoying the remainder of the day and getting an early start on the night."**_

"That's great! But…can you hold off training for a couple of hours?"

Rose drew a large question mark on her notepad, confused.

"I don't see why not." The familiar voice of Desiree rang out as the Energy Guardian left the nearby shadows. "Just be careful of any Sarafan out there. Don't want a repeat performance, now do we?"

Rose found herself with more questions than answers as Brooklyn thanked Desiree and took Rose by the hand.

"Come on!"

But before Rose could do anything, the Nature Guardian found herself dragged out of her chair and, to her horror, jumped off the Erie with Brooklyn holding on to her.

Looking over the edge, the Energy Guardian let out a sigh of relief as Brooklyn opened his wings and glided off with the newborn. As she watched the pair glide off, she heard Angela speak as she joined her.

"It seems that Rose has unwittingly woven a spell on Brooklyn."

The Energy Guardian nodded, but continued to frown.

"Sadly, it is a spell that must be broken soon."

Angela looked at her new friend in confusion.

"Breaking the spell? What do you mean?"

Desiree caught herself just before she could answer. Instead, she gave a different reply.

"Let's just say that our purpose as Pillar Guardians may only cause heartbreak, as we cannot avert our destinies."

The vampiress then shook her head and turned around.

"But enough of that. Let them be for now. If you can, Angela, I would like to acquire your assistance in the training room. Transformations can be a bit…rough."

Angela remained silent as she followed the vampire, still trying to figure out the earlier riddle she had spoken.

* * *

_**With Brooklyn and Rose…**_

Sudden fear forced Rose to close her eyes as she and her gargoyle companions jumped from the tower and continued to fall. She thought that the gargoyle had gone mad and her inner panic attack caused her to forget that gargoyles had wings until she felt a jerk in the position of when they fell. Instead of falling downward, they were moving forward. Brooklyn kept a good grip on the vampiress' shoulders as he maneuvered himself to the perfect angle before speaking to Rose once again.

"Don't worry, Rose. I've got you."

But Rose refused to open her eyes, distress gluing them shut.

Knowing it would take a little while for Rose to calm her nerves, Brooklyn continued the glide for a few minutes until he spoke.

"You're really missing out on a great view. Just take a peek. I promise you won't regret it."

Toiling to do so, Rose managed to slowly open her eyes. What met her eyes was an astonishing sight.

Never before had Rose seen any city from a bird's eye view, at night much less. The stone, steel, and glass skyscrapers glittered like gemstones and with central park in the middle, the city made a beautiful necklace on the island. And with the star-filled sky and the glistening moon shining above, it was a sight to behold. Never in her lives as a human and a vampire did Rose ever dreamed of seeing anything like this.

As they glided on, the gargoyle and the vampire saw more and more of the city. Little did either of them know that the other was feeling strange feelings towards another. Brooklyn's heart beat faster as he continued to hold Rose, while the vampiress had a tingling sensation as she slowly realized how close she was to him. Neither feeling felt bad. In fact, it they were good feelings, even though they confused the young non-humans.

But as they glided over Central Park, something caught Rose's eyes. Seeing their distress, Brooklyn spoke.

"What's wrong, Rose?"

With her free hand, Rose pointed to an area surrounded by trees, and in the center clearing was a group of Sarafan warriors, dressed in armor that Brooklyn had never seen before, but knew right away that it was their new foes for the group had surrounded a band of vampire children. Well, they weren't vampires yet, but the oldest pair in the group was in their twenties. Like Rose, they had Turned from human to vampire recently. The only difference was that they were older than Rose by a few years, thus having more control of their vampiric natures.

Rose was frightened of the Sarafan, especially after what they did to her and her clan. But as a blossoming Nature Guardian of vampiric origin, she could not let this scene become a massacre. Seeing where Rose had pointed, Brooklyn snarled at the band of humans. "This is not good." He then turned his gaze to Rose who had closed her eyes tightly, her face scrunched as if she was in either deep thought or great pain.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

But his question was answered by a familiar voice in his head.

_"She was contacting me. Lucian, Desiree, and I are on our way. In the meantime, see if you can distract the Sarafan so that we won't have young casualties before we get there. I will also alert the Night Watch of this. But above all, make sure you protect Rose, Brooklyn. Remember, the Council had made you sign a Blood Contract. Should something happen to her…never mind. I dare not repeat the consequences."_

Brooklyn nodded, holding off a shudder of fear as he remembered the conditions of the Blood Contract. But even if there wasn't a contract, Brooklyn swore to himself that he wouldn't let harm come to Rose. Carefully, he glided downward, landing just a few feet from the path and not too far from the ambush. After he set Rose down, Brooklyn crept forward as the vampiress followed him. He snarled as he overheard the Sarafan speak.

"Are any of these the ones we seek?"

"No. The youngest of those eight is sixteen and the eldest are twenty-two."

"Are you sure the kids are vampires? What if they are ordinary children? We'd be committing child murder?"

"The pentagram charm that old man gave us is glowing red. That means they are vampires. So we can kill them without guilty consciences."

It was then Brooklyn heard something he never expected to hear: Rose literally hissing. Turning his head toward her, he saw that her eyes were glowing white and her fangs were bare. She was showing a new emotion he never expected her to show: wrath. Raising an arm, Rose concentrated her power to the ground around the Sarafan. As Brooklyn was about ask what she was doing, thick vines shot out of the ground, surprising the Sarafan and their near-victims. The vines coiled swiftly, tangling around the Sarafan's feet until the armored crusaders were tripping over themselves.

Using her powers as Nature Guardian, Rose told a section of vines to part, allowing the vampires to escape. Seeing their escape route open, the children and their elder chaperones fled into the brush, greeted by Brooklyn and Rose. They were surprised to find not only a gargoyle there, but one of the Pillar Guardians as well. The elder girl, a dirty-blonde with sapphire eyes, thanked the pair as she allowed the elder boy, who was a midnight-haired aqua eyed man, lead the children away.

As the vampires fled, the vampire and the gargoyle looked toward the Sarafan again and saw that the humans were beginning to hack at the vegetation with their blades. As they did, Brooklyn saw out of the corner of his eye Rose flinching with every hack. He wondered about why this was so until he heard Nora's voice again.

"_You better go with her. This is going to be messy."_

He didn't dare try to find out what she meant and took Rose away. Rose was about to sign when she sensed the familiar life forces of her fellow vampire Guardians and that of the Night Watch. The left the area just in time as the sound of screams echoed through the night.

* * *

They took rest at the Shakespeare Gardens and Rose began to write furiously into her notepad, her only means of fast communication. Brooklyn struggled to calm the mute vampire as he continued to try to get some answers at the same time. But before he could say a word, the sight of the children they had saved caught their eyes. The elder girl spoke up as she stepped forward.

"We thank you and it is an honor to have met you, Rose the Ecomancer."

Brooklyn looked at Rose in confusion. But the vampiress, on the other hand, gave a bow as both a greeting and gratitude. She then wrote a new note and handed it to Brooklyn, who read it aloud.

"She said, 'You better hurry back to New Vasserbünde before more of those tin cans show up.'"

He had to pronounce 'Vasserbünde' as he read the note, but he was able to get the message through. As they headed off to who knew where, the vampires and the children continued to thank Rose and Brooklyn as they left. It did the gargoyle's heart good to actually hear that he was being thanked personally, even if it was by child-vampires.

As soon as the last child left, Brooklyn returned his attention to Rose, who was ready to give another explanation.

"Why did they call you an Ecomancer? And why did they treated you with such respect?"

Rose wrote down her answer and handed the notepad back to Brooklyn. He read it in silence.

"_**I was given the title when it was discovered that I was the Guardian of the Pillar of Nature. An Ecomancer is a mage that has full control over the plant kingdom. Though when I grow, I will have the ability to command fauna as well. And the reason they respected me so is because to us, being a Pillar Guardian is like a savior lord. Upon birth, despite our backgrounds, we are automatically considered high-ranking nobles and with the responsibilities we carry, secret or otherwise."**_

"And what about Nora and the others? What are they doing to those Sarafan?" Rose gave an uneasy answer.

"_**Only well-trained vampires like Nora, Lucian, and Desiree, are allowed to kill humans when necessary. Our laws specified that killing humans is forbidden. The punishment for illegally killing humans is death by water." **_

"Water?"

"_**Water is like acid to vampires. As a newborn, I am still able to take in sunlight and water as if I had never Turned. But eventually, I will become sensitive to those elements and I will become a true creature of the night."**_

Brooklyn then looked back to where they have fled. The screams of the Sarafan were being silences rapidly. But were Nora and the other two able kill a large band of Sarafan on their own? The gargoyle then remembered that Nora spoke of a night watch and asked Rose what that was. Again, Rose gave him an answer.

"_**While we are safe in our hidden city, there are many who would rather risk living on the surface than in New Vasserbünde. In order to protect those living on the surface, the International Council of Elders created a secret guard whose purpose is to protect surface vampires. Kinda like the CIA of the Vampire world. Only this group is known as the Night Watch. Since they had contacted the Watch, Nora and the others will permission to join in for the 'sentencing' of those lunatics."**_

Brooklyn gulped as he heard how harsh the vampire laws were. Especially since it concerned the safety of the vampire race. Unlike gargoyles, who only go as far as scaring foes unless necessary, vampires are willing to kill in order to keep safe. Seeing apprehension in Brooklyn's face, Rose wrote on the notepad again and handed it to Brooklyn, calming his thoughts.

"_**Don't worry. The laws are strict in the part about killing humans. Under the law, we are forbidden to even scratch a person for blood unless absolutely necessary. In order to keep up the illusion that vampires are a myth, we refrain ourselves from taking our blood 'raw'. It helped us greatly when blood banks came into existence and we had 'suppliers' on the inside. But…there are some who would refer to the old ways and will rip away from our society. These vampires go rogue and are the only threat that rivals that of the Sarafan."**_

"How so?"

"_**The rogue vampires are...'sloppy eaters.' They don't kill with integrity and concern for the rest of us. They take the blood of any human that moves and leaves the bloodless bodies aside like litter. This becomes even more of a problem when a human finds it. If the rogue continues, the human authorities and vigilantes would piece everything together and should they be able to kill the rogue, they will know for certain vampires exist and the Sarafan numbers will increase greatly. Then it will be a vampire version of the Salem Witch Trials. The humans will massacre themselves until they are convinced that every vampire is slaughtered."**_

"And you send the Night Watch to take care of the rogue before he or she becomes such a problem?" Brooklyn asked. Rose nodded. Suddenly, Nora's telepathic voice caught the pair's attention.

_"The Watch is cleaning up. We are all free to head back to the castle. The captain will give the report to the Council and it will be like nothing happened. Rose, stay where you are. This is the perfect place for Desiree to teach you how to change forms. I ask that you, Brooklyn, to stay behind and provide a means of safe return for Rose. I know our laws seem…bloodthirsty. But our kind had suffered through many hardships both with happy and tragic endings. Such laws are necessary. Don't let what you have learned change your original opinion of us. We may be vampires, but we are civilized people. Ones with honor. Good evening."_

Brooklyn fell silent, unable to get a steady idea as to what has happened. But as he looked to Rose, who turned away from him in shame, tended to some azaleas. As he watched the vampiress tend to the flowering bush with gentle hands, his heart continued to trust in the Pillar Guardians. He had been seeing Rose's garden for a week now and never had he seen more vivacious plants, both flowering and non-flowering, than that of the vampiress. Such beautiful gardens could only be tended by gentle hands. And even though it seemed impossible, it was a fact that Rose had the gentlest hands of every vampire.

In the end, he continued to trust the vampires and their 'creed.' Upon Desiree's arrival, the gargoyle took the time to take a rest as the vampires began to train in the moonlight. His gaze shifted to the young fledgling as he drifted to sleep, his heart a flutter at the sight of the Guardian of Nature.

As the gargoyle fell asleep and they began the training, Desiree spoke to Rose once more.

"Oh, by the way. I have heard pleasing news from our human hosts. There are expecting another child."

* * *

_Please Review._


	7. Omen

**Chapter 7**

**Omen**

* * *

Weeks have passed after the night it was announced that Fox was going to have another child. It was thrilling news to both the gargoyles and the vampires. As Rose became stronger and more controlled, the rest of the Circle took it easy and began to help in preparing the second nursery. But as things began to take off despite the fact that the Sarafan were still searching for the eight, something happened that was completely out of the ordinary, even to the vampires as Patience sat in her room, meditating, when suddenly, her blind eyes shot wide open and the Time Guardian gasped.

"Oh, no! Not now!"

Patience scrambled to her feet and, thanks to her ability to use clairvoyance, she made her way to the nearest vampire-filled room.

Rose was training with Desiree one night as Lucian and Nora took the night off from mental and physical training, Patience came bursting into the training room and panted.

"Hurry! Now!"

The two vampiresses stopped their training to look at the Time Guardian.

"What is it, Patience? We're right in the middle of transformations." Desiree protested.

But Patience shook her head.

"It's urgent! It's Anthony! He's going to Turn in thirty minutes!"

This caught the elders' attention.

"What are you talking about? Anthony won't Turn until a year from August and it's early July right now." Desiree pointed out.

But Patience protested.

"I've just had a vision about this. I can sense that it is real. I've already brought Anthony to attention telepathically and the others are beginning to gather!"

Now _that _was a concern. Patience was prone to visions of the future every once in a while and the Energy and Nature Guardians knew well enough not to doubt Patience when she announces one.

In silent agreement, Rose and Desiree headed to the room where Patience had the vampires gather. Sure enough, Anthony was beginning to show some symptoms. His body began to twitch at an uncontrolled rate, his breathing shallow, and his heartbeat grew so loud that the Circle could hear it without getting anywhere near the Dimension Guardian.

Lucian frowned.

"I don't know what the devil is going on, but we've got to hurry."

Nora turned to the rest of the Circle.

"Rose, Desiree, go to the kitchen and get a cooler of blood. A big one. Lucian, go with Andrew and find some chains. Morgan, find a strong chair, preferably something steel. I'll stay here with Anthony in case he becomes violent."

"What about me?" Patience asked, recovering from her vision.

Nora answered her.

"You go and tell the Xanatos family not to come anywhere _near_ this wing of the castle. Repeat the same message to the clan as well, but tell them to tread carefully. We may need their assistance."

Patience nodded and hurried out with the others, while Nora looked at Anthony with worry.

"Hold on, Tony. We're right here."

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the vampires were scrambling like mad in performing their tasks. The Energy and Nature Guardian tripped and slipped during their rush and got to work. Desiree went to where the coolers were stored and got out a large one before she called to Rose.

"Rose! Start filling the cooler with blood! I'm right behind you."

But Rose was already on the job as she used a large portion of her small strength to open a large walk-in refrigeration unit and went straight to the blood. She grabbed as many bags as she could carry before she left the cold room and gently placed the bags into the cooler so as not to pop them.

The two worked furiously power-walking back and forth until the cooler was filled to capacity with bags of the red liquid. After closing the lid and the door to the unit, Rose and Desiree grabbed an end of the cooler and carried it out of the kitchen.

* * *

It didn't take long to find chains on Lucian and Andrew's end, but when they saw Morgan on the way back trying to push a stone chair she found in the castle gardens, they had to stop.

"Is that the strongest chair you can find?" Andrew asked.

Morgan answered with much cynicism and sarcasm as she could muster.

"No. This is in fact the lightest, weakest of chairs in the world. What do you think? It's either this or we use a column around here. And giving the time, I am not going to scurry around to find a freaking column!"

Seeing that the Death Guardian needed help, Lucian handed the chains and the padlock he had in his pocket to the States Guardian.

"Andrew, take Morgan and deliver the chains to Nora. I'll handle the chair."

Knowing that the Conflict Guardian was the only one capable to perform such a feat, Andrew nodded before casting his gaze on the thin Guardian. "Let's go, Morgan. With Anthony's premature Turn, I have no clue as to how long we have until he begin the frenzy." Morgan nodded and left with Andrew, while Lucian turned to the chair.

"It's a good thing this wing's quarantined." The Conflict Guardian muttered as he knelt down into a fetal position.

As a trained vampire, Lucian was able to call upon one of his strongest transformations. Fur burst out of every pore on his skin, his fingernails and toenails became long and hard, his face elongated and his teeth sharpened. His ears shifted toward the top of his head and became pointed, while a long, bushy tail made an appearance from behind. Lucian's clothes tore, but remained on the changing vampire, save for his shoes, which he discarded before the transformation began. The moment the pain subsided, Lucian knew he had achieved his new, temporary form.

Lucian Quinn had become a werewolf.

The werewolf, fully in control, set his gaze on the stone chair and with his muscular arms, picked the chair up as if it was a sack of potatoes, and headed back to his sister.

* * *

As soon as they heard about what was going on with Anthony, the clan cut their patrol short and returned to the castle, while Goliath contacted Elisa, who was going to bring Matt to the 'blessed event.' But by the time the two groups got to the castle, screams could be heard throughout the castle.

"Sounds like the poor guy's being tortured." Matt commented.

"Just keep your gun at the ready in case Anthony gets out. From what Nora and Patience said, these 'changes' can have unpredictable events." Elisa warned.

As the detectives and the gargoyles met up, Morgan waved them down.

"That's one of them?" Matt whispered to Elisa.

The latter nodded as she waved down the Death Guardian.

"What's happening, Morgan?"

Her question was answered by the sound of something hard hitting the wall.

"As you can tell, Anthony's gone into the Frenzy stage. So be extremely cautious." Morgan replied.

The nine visitors tensed up as Morgan opened the door and gave gasps of shock as they saw what was going on inside.

Inside the room, Nora was using her mental abilities to lift the chains while Lucian, still in his wolf form, struggled with an animalistic Anthony trying to take a bite out of him. Rose and Desiree formed a second line of defense from the door should the Dimension Guardian overtake the Conflict Guardian, while the non-vampire Guardians formed a third line of defense in front of the door.

Seeing the nine, Nora called out.

"If you can, give us a hand here! I don't know how long Lucian can hold him, even in that state!"

Heeding the Mentalist's words, the entire gargoyle clan burst in to help, while Elisa and Matt stayed to help in the third line of defense. Brooklyn and Angela took up the second line, while Goliath, Hudson, and Broadway grabbed Anthony's arms and with Lucian pushing, pulled the Dimension Guardian into the chair. As soon as Anthony was sitting down, Nora made quick work of chaining him down, the chains making their way like serpents. As soon as she knew Anthony was restrained, Nora placed the padlock and called off the attack.

"That's it for Stage One! Lucian, take a break and restore your strength. Rose, Desiree, get the blood!"

As the vampires obeyed, the non-vampire members of the Circle waited until the Energist placed the first bag beneath the Dimension Guardian's growing fangs, careful from getting bit. Anthony fed ravenously, completely unaware of those around him. The glow from his eyes indicated his consciousness was still sealed off by his vampire instincts.

"Is he going to be ok?" A concerned Broadway asked.

Patience answered the rotund gargoyle as she sensed for further visions.

"My visions as Time Guardian spared us from an unpredictable attack. By catching him early, we've managed to succeed in a safe Turn."

"At least now you know what a controlled Turn looks like." Andrew spoke as he cleaned his glasses, a habit the castle residents come to know of.

"Looks like caging a wild animal to me." Elisa muttered.

Morgan spoke to her. "It is similar. Only vampires are far more dangerous, I think."

As Anthony was being force-fed, Patience left to inform the Xanatos family that things are going to be fine. However, those present were quite startled because of what they had witnessed.

In the weeks since the move, each member of the clan had taken a liking to one or more members of the Circle. Finding kinship with Goliath, Nora found solace as the two read books in the castle library nightly. Lucian, as expected, began to trade 'war stories' with Hudson, who was as much of a teacher to Lucian as the Conflict Guardian is to the elder.

Angela became very close to Desiree and Patience, eager to learn about the vampires' culture and their history, much to the Energy and Time Guardians' delight. And it was a relief to the gargoyle to spend time with other girls.

Andrew and Lexington hit it right off, both gifted with intellect and often engaging in scientific conversations that could last for hours had not each member of the Circle come and pry the States Guardian from the lab.

Even loner, Morgan, found the company of the dog-like Bronx to be enjoyable.

Just like their fellow clan members, Anthony and Broadway found their amity, only with them, it was with movies. So it wasn't a surprise that Broadway wanted to stay and help his new friend with his 'adjustment' stage.

"You think he's gonna be ok?" he asked Desiree, who was keeping watch with Lucian and Nora.

"He will between fifteen to thirty minutes, as long as we keep a steady blood flow."

She then turned to Morgan and Andrew.

"Can you two get some more blood? Anthony's feeding too quickly."

As the States and Death Guardians left, Rose looked to Nora with concern. Reading her mind, the eldest spoke.

"Let's wait. It's probably a one-time thing. If Patience Turns in less than two years, then we will have to call an emergency meeting with the Council."

Hearing this, Elisa spoke. "This hadn't happened before?"

Patience, whom had just returned, answered her.

"No. The Turns happen precisely on the very second of a vampire's twentieth birthday. It has never come early or late, which is why we're-!"

At that moment Patience keeled over while she had another vision.

For the first time since meeting her, Patience shrieked.

"Get the chains! I'm next!"

Hearing this, Angela and Brooklyn grabbed the Time Guardian as she began to twitch uncontrollably. Nora called out to Rose.

"Rose! Your vines!"

Rose didn't need to be told twice as she dashed back into her room and pulled open a drawer. Inside were packets of seeds. She found several vine-growing plants and grabbed a handful before running back to the room. She then tossed the seeds onto the ground and used her power as Nature Guardian to force the seeds to grow at a rapid pace.

The vines coiled tightly around the Time Guardian as she began go wild. The two gargoyles jumped back as the vines started to take heavy root in every crack and crevice surrounding the teenager, securing her as multiple anchors. Rose kept throwing more seeds and growing them until Patience was wrapped up like a green mummy. A weakened Lucian pulled the Time Guardian and tied her to the back of the Dimension Guardian's chair just as Morgan and Andrew brought more blood with Bronx. Seeing Patience in such a state, the two looked to Nora.

Nora answered solemnly.

"Looks like an emergency meeting is in order."

She then looked to the entire group.

"As the only fully Turned vampires in the Circle, not counting our recent additions; Desiree, Rose, my brother and I are stable enough to enter our hidden city. But we also need witnesses."

"Witnesses?" Goliath asked the Mentalist.

Lucian spoke strenuously.

"Our word alone won't be enough to let the Council know that this is a serious issue. Because all of you have signed Blood Contracts and have witnessed this event, you are all qualified to come forth to the meeting and give statements regarding this. But we also need some of you to stay and keep watch with Morgan and Andrew."

"But why won't they come?" Broadway asked, looking to the remaining non-vampires of the Circle.

Morgan answered.

"It is because the city is full vampires, including unpredictable fledglings. Best bet is that only four mortals should go with the others, one for each member of the Circle."

Andrew added in.

"She's right. One vampire with one mortal is a lot safer than a larger number of mortals to a smaller number of protector vampires."

The Death Guardian then spoke.

"So prepare yourselves. You're gonna enter a massive vampire den."

* * *

_Please Review_


	8. An Elder's Request

**Chapter 8**

**An Elder's Request**

_Hi. Sorry for the long wait._

_I do not own Gargoyles or Legacy of Kain._

* * *

It took an entire day before the "appointment" was set for the evening after Anthony's and Patience's transformations. After a discussion with the twins while Desiree and Rose tend to the fledglings and Andrew busy analyzing himself and Morgan for their possible Turns; it was decided that Goliath, Brooklyn, Angela, Elisa, and Xanatos would serve as the witnesses while the rest of the clan watched over the remaining guardians while Matt had to undergo the Blood Contract with the two remaining hybrids.

With receiving the appointment, the vampires took the later part of the day after their rest to get ready. The women, save for Desiree who wore her insulated cloak as usual, donned the uniform of bell-sleeved dresses in their own coloring. Nora's dress was lavender with grey trimming and a brown belt that hung from her waist. She wore amethyst earrings and a silver-and-amethyst choker around her neck.

Patience had a little help with her attire, as her blindness prevented her from matching her jewelry with her attire. Her gown was a combination of dark orange and black. The one difference in this particular gown was a hood attached to it. The Time Guardian's brown hair was braided back so that she could feed without barriers and the only jewelry she wore were earrings and a choker of black onyx. She took her token from its resting place and left her chamber to meet her fellow vampires in the kitchen for an early "dinner."

Rose's attire was an emerald green with brown trimmings, keeping true to earth tones. She opened a chest she had recovered from her former apartment and pulled out a single accessory: a comb with three multicolored feathers protruding from a ring of snow-white fangs that were settled on shimmering blue scales. This was Rose's token from the Pillar of Nature: her Phoenix Plume. Even though she had short hair, there was enough to place the comb in the right part of her hair, the feathers draping elegantly.

Lucian's attire was a little more…uncomfortable than those of the remaining Circle. As Conflict Guardian, he wore a set of armor he crafted over the years. Unfortunately, the armor had to match his token, according to his sister. Lucian almost always felt uncomfortable whenever he had to wear the helm that was once host to the spirit of his infamous predecessor. The only weapon he intended to carry was a very prominent halberd, its blade sharpened especially for this occasion.

Anthony's attire was also different from the rest of the Turned members of the Circle. He wore a tunic that was as red as blood with the edges in dark green. He wore dark cotton pants and leather boots. Around his neck was a cloak as his hair was trimmed and styled so that his extra eye was exposed. The only jewelry he donned was a gold medallion that hung from his neck.

Once they were ready, the six left their rooms and met with Xanatos at the main lobby of the castle. He wore his usual attire, as he was previously informed that only the Circle would be required to wear formal clothing. Once he saw the six, he smirked.

"Well. It would almost seem that time has twisted itself."

"Laugh all you want, Xanatos. We weren't the ones who made such rules." Lucian growled as he and the others entered the black car.

Elisa was driving behind the car with her own red car in case the Sarafan got any ideas to stalk the Circle. Above in the airways, the chosen gargoyles glided to the rendezvous whilst keeping an eye out for Sarafan as well.

All three traveling parties noticed figures watching them from the shadows as well as other figures from different figures glancing at them as they drove along.

"Those are members of a lesser branch of the Night Watch. They were called to make sure we arrive safely." Nora explained both verbally and telepathically.

The sentries lead the grounded group to the rendezvous: an abandoned brick factory within the industrial section of New York. There were some sentries motioning the cars to drive in before they awaited for the gargoyles. Like humans, they were startled. But unlike humans, they weren't afraid.

"Are they…?" Elisa asked Rose as the two women met up.

Rose gave a nod, knowing what she was asking. As the gargoyles entered the building, Brooklyn immediately took notice at Rose. He felt his heart beat faster upon seeing her in her formal attire, confirming a long-stated fact that had never left his mind.

"_She's beautiful."_

The sound of Lucian clearing his throat snapped Brooklyn out of his thoughts and back to reality.

"Now that we are all here, we should enter the city in smaller groups."

"Why is that?" Elisa asked, once again on the defense.

It was Patience who answered.

"Because the Lift won't be able to support all of us at once."

As if on cue, a sound came from a nearby support column. An unfamiliar vampire approached the pillar and with a dagger, sliced his hand and with a finger, used the blood to write some sort of symbol the Manhattan clan was unfamiliar with. Perhaps not even Demona with all her sorcery could decipher the bloody symbol.

"What is he doing?" Angela asked Nora.

"Removing the ward."

The entire present clan was about to ask more questions when the image of a brick column disintegrated. In its place was an old-fashioned grated elevator inside the brickwork. It was large enough to support several people. Or in this case, three gargoyles and two humans. Nora, Lucian, and Desiree entered the car and pulled a switch, the elevator proceeding downward. Rose, Anthony, and Patience walked in once the car returned empty.

Upon the end of the second elevator trip, the vampires that were left behind motioned to the visitors.

"We recommend two at a time. This old heap isn't like it used to be." One male vampire spoke.

Heeding the vampire, Goliath and Brooklyn entered the lift and allowed the elevator car to carry them underground.

The trip was faster than a normal elevator only a little bit. But like with the previous trips, the elevator took a long time before they were met with a wondrous sight. As the lift continued its descent, the two could see a vast city underneath Manhattan. The glow of luminescent crystals illuminated the cave enough for the two gargoyles to see the details on most of the buildings to find them of gothic design. Supporting the massive cave were several large stone pillars, including the one the elevator was built into, kept the ceiling from falling on the city below.

At the center of the city was the largest pillar either of them had seen. It was clearly the tallest, the largest, and the thickest of the all the pillars. Light speckled on the pillar indicated that the inside was hollowed out to provide a sort of residence, yet from the look of the pillar it still was capable to hold the city above.

When the lift finally reached bottom, they were greeted by both the Circle and more unknown vampires, watching them all warily. Before their departure from the castle, the mortal visitors were informed that within the city of New Vasserbünde, security outside the city and surrounding the lift was always high to prevent any who would seek to do the vampire race harm. Unless escorted by a vampire recognized by the community or they themselves were welcomed in the city, the guards' orders were to kill on sight. So it was a relief that they had multiple recognized vampires in their company.

Upon exiting the lift, they waited for Angela, Elisa, and Xanatos to arrive on the next car. Like them, the three were marveled at the sight of the city that was right below their feet the whole time. A testament to vampire ingenuity for the sake of survival.

Amused, Lucian spoke to the mortals.

"Enjoying the sight, are we?"

"It's a beautiful city." Angela mused, her gaze refusing to leave the sight of the city.

Nora then spoke up, leading the Circle as usual.

"Perhaps after the meeting, we shall treat you all with a tour. But for now, we must make hast to the central pillar. That is where the council is awaiting us."

Remembering the reason why they were in New Vasserbünde in the first place, the five mortals followed the elder and younger guardians, while Rose and Desiree as well as some of the guards that had greeted them took up the rear and sides of the group.

As they made their way to the central pillar, both Circle and mortals took notice of the stares of the people around them. Vampires, most likely, murmured to themselves about the sudden arrival of five mortals, two human, in the company of six very influential vampires.

The company also took note of some who noticed that the each member of the Circle held their token. And it was also where the mortals learned that the number of tokens that the Circle possessed expressed the severity of the meeting at hand.

Was Anthony and Patience's premature transformations really that urgent? And exactly how _great _the urgency?

Whatever questions that had developed in their minds were forced to be set aside for the time being as they approached a large set of doors at the top of a flight of stairs. The passed through the doors and followed the column inside around to another set of doors. This time, the doors lead to a large council room with a giant luminescent crystal overhead, lighting the entire chamber.

Seated at the tall crescent council platform were the elders they had met, including Anita at the center of the council. Her gaze immediately fell to the Dimension and Time guardians, immediately noticing the change in the two youths.

"So it is true. Two premature changes in the same night, effecting the Circle."

A fair-haired elder named Marguerite approached the pair as they stepped forward to examine their mouths. Once she examined the fangs, she returned to the elders.

"It is no trick. Those fangs are real."

Clearing her throat, Nora stepped forward until she was standing next to the two premature vampires, the remainder standing several paces away.

"I mean not to interrupt. But as you can see, we have called the emergency meeting because of the significance. We feel the time of the Pilgrimage is drawing near."

Whispers were made amongst the council in a frenzy of emotion, another new experience the mortals had the rare opportunity to see. Unfortunately, none of the mortals understood why this frenzy was caused by the legitimacy of the younger vampires' prematurity.

It was Elisa who stepped a couple steps forward in order to ask the question has on everyone's minds. She stood next to Anthony, who was nearest to her, and spoke to the elders themselves.

"Look. I don't mean any disrespect. But what exactly is the 'Pilgrimage'?"

The Circle looked to the elders who, once again, conversed in silence. Nods soon became visible as Anita spoke.

"Very well. I will tell them."

She then turned her attention to the mortals.

"Normally, this information, would not be given to anyone outside the council or the Circle, much less to outsiders. But since this is a 'special' case, it is only right that you all should know."

She then motioned to some benches at the left of the chamber.

"Have a seat. Elder Cassius shall explain while the rest of us continue to debate."

Following the High Elder's orders, the five mortals walked to their destination while the Circle remained to converse with elders on the situation at hand. Whatever the Pilgrimage was, it was definitely something big.

Upon taking seats on the stone benches, an elder approached the pair. He was covered in a cloak like the rest of the elders and his head was exposed. Appearance-wise, he looked to be in his thirties. He had long black hair and an equally long black beard fell from his head. His grey eyes focused upon them as he spoke.

"I am Elder Cassius. I oversee the academics of the vampire world. I have been asked to answer any questions you have during the meeting."

He then turned his gaze to Elisa.

"To answer your question, Detective Maza, the Pilgrimage is an event all vampirekind has been awaiting since days of old. It is when we vampires shall return to Nosgoth and away from humankind."

This caught everyone's full attention.

Return to Nosgoth? But how was that possible.

"But…didn't Nosgoth disappear thousands of years ago?" Angela inquired the elder.

Cassius nodded at her as he continued his lecture.

"That is true, child. But it has been long been foretold that one day, Nosgoth will return to the face of the earth. And unfortunately, bringing back an enemy we are dreading to return. Something far worse than the Sarafan."

The five remained silent as Cassius uttered the name of the unknown enemy.

"The Hylden."

Immediately, the five remembered the night they had first met the Circle. The eight explained about the Hylden and the terrible war that resulted in the curse of the vampire race. But…how could this be? Seeing the reaction on their faces, Cassius spoke again.

"I take it none of their lordships had told you the Hylden remain."

"How is this possible? We have been told that the Hylden were sealed away at the end of your war." Goliath pleaded for an answer to such a question.

Cassius held out one of his hands at the gargoyle.

"Stay your anxiety, sir, and I shall explain."

Goliath fell silent, motioning Cassius to continue.

"Remember our late lord, Kain? Well, in circumstances beyond his control at the time, he found himself as the catalyst of the Hylden's return. But not by his own making…"

Cassius then turned his attention to Patience, who was conversing with Elder Marguerite.

"…but by the machinations of Lady Cambridge's predecessor: the human Mobius the Time Streamer. He tampered with the fabric of time in his blind ambition to exterminate our kind. As the founder of the Sarafan, he vowed to stop at nothing from 'purging the vampire disease' from the world."

He then returned his attention to the mortals.

"But what he failed to realized that by exterminating the vampires, the rightful heirs to the Pillars of Nosgoth, he had in turn unleashed the Hylden when a young Kain was forced to make a choice concerning the fate of the world."

"And that is?" Xanatos asked, not liking where this was going.

"To sacrifice himself as Balance Guardian to restore his pillar and balance, or to live and damn Nosgoth. The former seemed to be an enticing offer, but it only prolonged the inevitable."

"And that's the Hylden's return?" Elisa asked. Cassius nodded. "Yes. Vampire blood is needed in the Circle in order to protect the Binding that had kept the Hylden in the demonic realm for centuries. Since Kain chose to live, the Binding shattered and the Hylden broke free."

"But how is it that we don't see any Hylden today? Does it involve Nosgoth's disappearance?" Goliath asked.

Cassius once again nodded.

"After the birth of vampire hybrid colonies around the world and the mysterious death of Kain, Nosgoth seemed to have reacted to balance being returned and somehow knew we needed time for our numbers to grow. So, it vanished off the face of the earth. But not before prophecies of its return revealed."

It was then that Brooklyn managed to ask a question of his own. One he had been dreading to ask.

"And how are we all to know when Nosgoth is about to return?"

Cassius didn't need to read the young gargoyle's mind to know why he asked. It was evident that he cared for the Circle. Rose especially.

"The premature turns of half the Circle is the first sign. That means only one is left. In which case, we have to hasten our search."

"Hasten your search? For what?" Angela asked.

Cassius answered her grimly.

"There is one Pillar Guardian left to find: the Balance Guardian. With the known members of the current Circle, we have discovered them at young ages, the Lord and Lady Quinn being the first and youngest to be found. We have found them all within a year after the previous was born. However, the Balance Guardian has proved difficult to find. We have been searching for fifteen years. I am beginning to wonder if they are even born."

Cassius then proceeded to speak something completely different.

"On that matter, I wish to ask of you and your clan to aid in our search for the Balance Guardian. If Nosgoth's return is nigh, then they must be found to lead the Circle before the Pilgrimage comes."

The mortals were taken aback by this request as the elders, upon hearing this, hissed at Cassius.

"Are you mad, Cassius? This is strictly vampire business! This is no concern for mortals!" An arrogant balding vampire named Thurston hissed.

Cassius spoke to the elders calmly while the two clans watched.

"It is imperative that we find the Balance as soon as possible. At this point, _any_ help whether by mortal or immortal hands, we will need all the help we can get."

"But what can we do? Even if we accept we don't know how to tell who the Balance Guardian is." Angela pointed out to the elders.

It was then that Cassius explained, gesturing to the present members of the Circle.

"I suggest having at least one of the older members of the Circle help you with that. Preferably those who have mastered the gift of flight and as they are connected thanks to Lady Quinn and the Pillar of the Mind, they should be able to easily sense the Balance Guardian's presence. At least one guardian should do for now."

As the council began another mental discussion, the Circle and the mortals decided to have one of their own.

"Now you all know the seriousness of this situation?" Nora asked.

The mortals nodded as Xanatos spoke.

"I must say this information intrigues, if not frightens me. You have all spoken fondly of Nosgoth and you must be very anxious to have your kind return there."

The Circle nodded as Patience spoke.

"My foresight has not been fully-developed yet. However, I am able to sense we shall find our missing member after several months. Sometime around Halloween."

Anthony looked to the Time Guardian and spoke.

"Any idea on who they are, Patience? If we have an identity-"

"Unfortunately, that part of the vision is covered in a very thick fog. I can't see them or exactly when and where they shall turn up. It seems for now we'll have to follow Elder Cassius' plan."

She then looked to the mortals, despite being blind.

"That is, if you wish to aid us."

"But what exactly does Cassius mean by 'the gift of flight'?" Elisa asked.

Anthony answered her as he looked to the twins and the Energy Guardian.

"We vampires have the ability to change our forms to fit our needs. A common spell is the ability to turn into a flock of bats in order to fly from place to place at an accelerated rate. I think only the twins and Desiree are the only one able to perform it, right?"

The twins and Desiree nodded as the latter spoke.

"Yes, but I am currently teaching Rose how to do the same. I'll teach you two after you go through the twins' classes."

The two newborns grimaced at the twins' courses, knowing very well what they will have to go through from now on.

Wanting to continue the previous subject, Goliath spoke.

"So once each of you has master this 'bat form,' you will be able to help in the search?"

The Circle nodded in agreement.

"The council aren't the only ones who seek the Balance Guardian. Unfortunately, not all who are in the search have good intentions." Lucian replied.

"The Sarafan?" Xanatos asked grimly.

This earned another nod from the Circle as Nora spoke.

"If they find the Balance Guardian before we do, there is no doubt that they will kill them."

This gave enough for the mortals to discuss once the Circle was called back by the council. Once they were out of earshot, Angela was the first to speak up.

"I think we should help. With the Sarafan out there, there is no way whoever this Balance Guardian is will be safe."

"I'm just as worried about the Hylden as I am with the Sarafan. With them, could at least have some of the members arrested. But I have no idea what to do if we get invaded by the Hylden. So I would have to agree in joining the search." Elisa added in.

"I must say I am also not fond of either of them myself. I suppose I could ask Owen about the Hylden and begin plans on how to defend us should the vampires fail." Xanatos replied as he stroked his beard in thought.

Goliath gave a nod before turning his attention to Brooklyn.

"And what of you, Brooklyn? Should we agree to the elder's request?"

Brooklyn didn't even hear Goliath. He was too wrapped up in deep thought for him to hear. He wanted to help in the search, but there was a fear that tugged at him. He was thinking about what would happen if they did find the Balance Guardian. His biggest concern was should the Circle be completed that Nosgoth would immediately return. Thus, forcing the Circle to leave the human world behind.

Forcing Rose to leave _him._

For some strange reason, the very thought of Rose leaving filled him with dread. He wasn't sure if it was because she would be heading off to war with a race of beings that hadn't seen the earth in many millennia?

Or was it because there was a chance he may never see her again?

That last thought made the feeling worse to him. But he had to hold on evaluating himself for later. Right now, he had a decision to make.

"I think…we should look for the Balance Guardian. We've made a promise to protect Manhattan and those who live in it, right?"

The mortals nodded, wondering where this was going.

"So, the Balance Guardian could be among those we wish to protect. And as gargoyles, shouldn't we protect them as well?"

That made the vote unanimous.

The mortals will help the Circle locate the Balance Guardian.

They waited until the Elders and the Circle called them forth, Elder Anita speaking.

"We have agreed to allow Cassius to request your aid. What say you?"

It was Goliath who spoke for the group.

"We agree to help in finding the Balance Guardian and grant them the same protection we had offered the Circle."

Xanatos then spoke up, gaining the elders' attention.

"And I will also do what I can in aiding you from my home, whether you need something to cloak your homes or even weapons."

The elders nodded.

"That is very generous of you, Mr. Xanatos. But for now, our main priority is the Balance Guardian. If you could locate them and protect them, we would be very grateful." Elder Octavio spoke.

With some relief behind her stoic mask, Anita spoke to those present.

"I believe we have come to an accord. I call this meeting to an end."

With the High Elder's dismissal, the mortals and the Circle were free to move about in the rest of the city. Nora and Anthony lead Xanatos and Goliath on one tour, Elisa and Angela with Desiree and Lucian.

This left Rose and Brooklyn alone.

* * *

Rose had immediately sensed a change in her friend as she wrote the notepad she brought with her.

_"What's wrong, Brooklyn?" _

Brooklyn read the note and looked at Rose. He couldn't help but admire the Nature Guardian's beauty. Perhaps it was her pillar's token in her hair or the way she was dressed. Whatever the reason, he found her more radiant than ever.

The silence made Rose uneasy. This was becoming one of those times where she wished deeply for a voice of her own. Even telepathy would be nice right about then. Writing a question mark, she managed to get the second-in-command's attention.

"Oh! Sorry, Rose. I was just…thinking."

This only increased Rose's concern as she led him to a solitary public garden. Despite being underground the plants were quite healthy. Upon reaching the garden, she showed her first message again, hoping to get an answer. Reading the note, Brooklyn answered her, not wanting her to worry.

"I'm just thinking…about when we do find the Balance Guardian."

"_What do you mean by that?" _Rose asked, wondering what was going on in the gargoyle's mind.

Taking in a deep breath, Brooklyn answered her.

"I'm…worried…about when we find them. Will you…leave for Nosgoth right away?"

Now Rose understood. Brooklyn didn't seem too keen on finding the Balance Guardian because of the result.

It took some time for Rose to think up an answer. Upon finding one, she wrote it down while Brooklyn leaned into to read it. He couldn't help but noticed that Rose smelled like…well…roses. It was a lovely fragrance. One so enticing that he would have kept on smelling had Rose not shifted to grant him a better view of her answer.

"_To be honest, I don't know what will happen. None of us do. Not even Patience with her prophetic gifts. I am excited about seeing my vampiric ancestral homeland. All vampires are. But…I am also afraid."_

"Afraid? Afraid of what?" Brooklyn asked, which he immediately regretted saying before Rose wrote another message.

_"I am afraid of the Hylden, Brooklyn. More than the Sarafan or even the fact that the Circle and I have to __**lead**__ our people until a proper king can be found. I was never a fighter. I'm still not. I have heard so many terrible stories about the Hylden that I don't know if there's a possibility that I'll even survive. If anything, I want to stay here with…" _

The sentence trailed off as a blush formed on Rose's face. One that Brooklyn took notice. With a shaky hand, Rose finished her sentence.

_"…with you."_

In truth, Rose had no idea why she wrote that. She was happy living with all the residents of Castle Wyvern, even Owen who refused to have any part in their stay for some odd reason. But still, she couldn't help but write that she wanted to stay with _Brooklyn_ than anyone else in the human world.

Could it be possible that…she was starting to view him more than a friend?

Despite feeling the same, Brooklyn immediately took note on Rose's behavior. She was scared and ever since she and the Circle started to live with them, she had become more dependent on him than her clan. And he didn't even mind. In fact, it made him happy that Rose depended on him and that he was willing to do whatever it took to protect her.

Placing an arm around Rose's shoulder, the gargoyle brought the vampire in for an embrace by both arms and wings. This act made Rose feel a little better if not confused. Why was he holding her like this?

Whatever the reason, she did not want him to stop.

"Perhaps we'll find out when we reach that bridge, Rose. I don't know if I can with permission, but I will do whatever it takes to protect you. I refuse to let any Hylden or Sarafan harm you."

_"You are too precious to me."_ He thought.

No one knows if Rose had heard his thoughts. But somehow, his words, both vocal and silent, comforted her. His actions and words reassured her that she would not face the Hylden alone. Despite not wanting him to get involved.

As they left for the lift, Brooklyn continued to keep an arm around Rose and the vampire continued to stay close to him. It was when they reached the lift and returned to the castle that a thought struck them simultaneously.

"_Am I…falling in love…with him?"_

"_Am I…falling in love…with her?"_

* * *

_Please review._


End file.
